District
57 School Board Meeting Highlights – Jan. 23, 2020
*School Board Meeting Highlights
are a summary/overview of interesting and important decisions, presentations
and/or discussions that take place at Board meetings. They are different from
the meeting minutes, which give a detailed report of Board members present, personnel
transactions, Consent Agenda approval, vote tallies, etc. Meeting minutes are
posted on the website as part of the following meeting’s public packet.
Student Recognition
Ms. Laura
Harris recognized two Lincoln Orchestra students, Maddie A. and Corrine V., who
participated in the 2019 Illinois Music Educators Association (ILMEA) Music
Festival. More than 300 Orchestra students from 55 schools in northeastern Illinois auditioned to perform
at the festival for middle school orchestra, band and chorus students, and
Maddie and Corinne were among 130 accepted for this year’s Honors Orchestra.
Dr. Elaine Aumiller, superintendent, and Board president Eileen Kowalczyk
presented Maddie with a certificate. Corrine could not attend due to illness.
Environmental Scan
Dr. Aumiller
presented the District’s Environmental Scan, which is the first step in the
strategic planning process. The scan identifies internal and external trends
and analyzes factors on the horizon to help the District take advantage of
opportunities and plan for threats. Dr. Aumiller reviewed impacts of the past
decade, breaking them down by six Key Success Factors (KSF). She also outlined
Factors, Trends and Implications for each KSF, and then outlined key challenges
for 2020 and beyond. Find the complete Environmental Scan presentation in the
Board meeting public packet at the link below.
Technology Strategic Plan Update
The
District’s three instructional technology coaches – Kim Stortz, Ashley Patla
and Kate Sassatelli – reviewed the Digital D57 initiative that launched this
school year to provide education and resources for staff, students and parents.
Technology director Trevor Hope updated the Board on the new Fifth-Grade 1:1 Chromebook
Program. He reviewed the challenges and successes so far this year and results
of the parent survey. Trevor also reviewed the Technology Strategic Plan,
including planned infrastructure and equipment upgrades. He outlined how the
District has reduced copier and print usage and costs over the past two years
(with savings of 100 trees and $24,000 per year!). Find the technology
presentation and supporting information in the Board meeting public packet at
the link below.
Building Construction Projects for Summer
2020
Adam
Parisi, assistant superintendent for finance and operations, reviewed the
recommended capital improvements for summer 2020 that were first presented at
the Oct. 17 Board meeting. The projects, which represent urgent priorities on the
Master Facilities Plan, are:
Lincoln
=
Replace Busse Gymnasium HVAC unit and install air conditioning
=
Replace HVAC controls for gymnasium and main offices
=
Replace floors in all classrooms, cafeteria and locker room
=
Repair and repaint hallway lockers
=
Add 2 generators that can be used to restore power during
outages
Westbrook
=
Replace HVAC controls
=
Replace asphalt in the basketball courts
=
Install sensory floors in the early childhood hallway
Lions Park
=
Rebuild and expand parking lot
=
Install air conditioning in the gymnasium
=
Replace large chiller and the HVAC controls on the chiller
Fairview
- Rebuild and expand parking lot
Administration
Building
- Build a receiving room at the dock entrance to separate the
mechanical server and janitorial areas from the five offices and workspaces on
the lower level
The District’s construction
manager published a bid notice on Dec. 19, and bids were collected for seven
different packages. Adam reviewed the packages and the bids that were received,
and he identified the lowest-cost contractors that the District is
recommending. The packages and recommended bids are as follows:
- Bid Package #1: Earthwork and Site Utilities ($964,900)
- Bid Package #2: Concrete ($169,820)
- Bid Package #3: Asphalt ($448,000)
- Bid Package #4: General Trades ($378,000)
- Bid Package #5: Flooring ($293,680)
- Bid Package #6: HVAC ($362,976)
- Bid Package #7: Electrical ($327,538)
- Total of 7 Bid Packages, using the recommended, lowest-cost
contractors: $3,068,437
The Board voted to approve the
bid packages and recommended contractors. In addition, Adam recommended that
the Board discuss an alternate package of earthwork and site utilities to
improve drainage near the houses adjacent to the Lions Park parking lot
($22,500). The Board approved this project.
Some
of the work outlined above will begin this spring, but the majority will take
place over the summer, with the goal of completion by the start of next school
year. Find all of the bids and other details in the Board meeting public packet at the link below.
Student Fees for 2020-2021 School Year
The Board
voted to approve next school year’s student fees, such as curriculum, supplies,
transportation and Kids’ Corner. Find a list of
approved fees in the Board meeting public packet at the link below.
PRESENTATIONS AND SUPPORTING MATERIALS IN THE
BOARD PUBLIC PACKET AT THIS LINK: https://www.d57.org/Downloads/1-23-20
Agenda-Public Packet.pdf