Here’s what’s happening at District 205
By Chris Fox
For The Elmhurst Independent
The Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 Board held a regular meeting on April 28. All seven board members participated in the meeting, which took place remotely, with board members and staff members communicating online.
Public comment includes York senior
Jack Castanoli, a senior at York High School, submitted a profound public comment at the April 28 meeting, which President Kara Caforio read aloud. It is printed in full elsewhere in this issue.
Graduation canceled; possibly rescheduled
The board and District 205 Superintendent David Moyer spent a significant portion of the end of the meeting discussing plans for York High School’s Class of 2020 graduation ceremony. The ceremony was originally scheduled to take place on Sunday, May 17, but that day’s event has been canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Moyer noted that the students of York’s Class of 2020, their parents, the board and the administration would like to have a traditional graduation ceremony, if possible, this year. He said the board could schedule a date in July and try to accommodate that date if conditions allow. Moyer said the board needed to provide guidance regarding plans for a virtual graduation ceremony. Moyer said the district could try to schedule a virtual ceremony closer to the end of the school year. He also said the district could put off a virtual graduation, saving it as a backup event if the traditional graduation service wasn’t possible. Moyer stated that there is a 34-day lead time required to produce a virtual graduation.
After discussion among board members, the board directed Moyer and district staff to conduct a survey of parents of York High School seniors. The survey was sent to parents the day after the meeting—April 29. The due date for parents to return the survey was Monday, May 4.
The board directed Moyer and district staff to begin planning to have a virtual graduation ceremony ready if a traditional ceremony in July cannot take place. Regardless of how York’s Class of 2020 celebrates its graduation, the administration from York and the district will work to incorporate various ways to recognize the class. One of the events being discussed is a senior barbecue in August.
Prom canceled as well
York’s 2020 prom was supposed to take place on April 25 at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. That event, like all of York’s extracurricular events since the school closed to on-site instruction after regular classes on March 13, was suspended.
Speaking during the April 28 board meeting, Moyer said the district was recommending cancellation of this year’s prom. Moyer noted that several festivals scheduled for June have already been canceled. To try to hold and event with students who had already graduated, and arranging their transportation and safety in the current environment, was not possible.
“We just don’t think prom is feasible,” said Moyer of holding the event this year. “We know that’s going to upset a lot of people, but that’s what we believe.”
Summer school options discussed
In discussing 2020 summer school options for York students during the ongoing pandemic, Moyer proposed that the district allow students to take courses through approved providers, including virtual providers. Instead of paying the district, families would pay the providers. Students would then complete and submit forms to get approved for credit for the summer courses.
District plans to refund certain fees
The district plans to refund families for their payments for the district’s current 2020 summer school registration. Additionally, the district will refund families who paid their 2020 spring athletics fees. The district is also working on refunding one third of the student parking fees at York for the current school year to account for the building being closed since the middle of March. The overall yearly parking fee was $156. The district will issue refunds of $52.
No changes in leadership in annual reorganization
The April 28 meeting began with the board’s annual reorganization. There was no change in the leadership positions of the seven-member board. By voice vote, the board unanimously voted for Kara Caforio to continue as the board president. Board members also voted unanimously by voice vote for Margaret Harrell to continue as the board’s vice president, and for Karen Stuefen to continue as the board’s secretary.
Fees for 2020-21 announced
The board voted unanimously during the meeting to approve several items, including the York High School student fees for the 2020-21 school year. Currently, the York athletic fees were capped at $400 per student during a school year. Beginning in the 2020-21 school year, a student’s athletic fee for a third sport will be waived.
The Tier 4 fee will rise from $250 this year to $275 in the 2020-21 school year. The sports with Tier 4 fees of $275 include basketball, football and golf. Sports with Tier 3 fees include baseball, bowling, gymnastics, softball, swimming and volleyball. Tier 3 fees will remain at $200 during the 2020-21 school year. Tier 1 fees ($100) and Tier 2 fees ($155) will also remain the same during the next school year.
New lease approved for electronics, tech equipment
The board also approved an agreement with U.S. Bancorp for a new four-year, tax-exempt, non-bank qualified lease and purchase of Dell computers, Apple iPads with cases, Aruba Wi-Fi access points, Cisco networking equipment and Konica Minolta printer/copier/scanners in an amount not to exceed $1,300,000, which the district will pay with four annual payments of about $334,000. The items, which will be deployed this summer, include 390 Dell laptops valued at $995 each, 110 Apple iPades with cases with a total cost of about $49,000, 80 Dell Tower PCs with a total cost of about $113,000 and 35 Konica Minolta printer/copier/scanner machines with a total cost of about $320,000.
Agreement approved for parking lot at Emerson
The board also approved agreements for parking lot and drainage improvements at Emerson Elementary School as part of Group 1 projects in the district’s master plan. The approved agreements include a cost of about $786,000 for excavation/site utilities/landscaping, a cost of nearly $200,000 for concrete, a cost of about $180,000 for asphalt paving and a cost of about $80,000 for electrical work.
Board approves recent PTA donations
The board voted unanimously to approve the Hawthorne Elementary School PTA’s donation of about $6,150, which will pay for new water fountains at the school. The board also approved the Jackson Elementary School PTA’s donation of $10,000, which includes $7,500 in funds to purchase furniture to update flexible seating options in classrooms.
Board holds off purchase of IFP displays
The board decided to hold off on approving an expense of up to $390,000 to purchase 73 Clevertouch Impact Plus 86-inch interactive flat panel (IFP) displays. Each display costs $3,845. Additional charges in the overall expense of up to $390,000 include 73 carts at nearly $1,000 each. The proposal called for the displays to initially be placed in elementary schools. The displays are intended to replace ceiling-mounted projectors.
Board member Courtenae Trautmann said she applauded the technology of the interactive flat panels, but she said that she was not comfortable with the financial commitment of $390,000 in the current environment. Following discussion, the board voted 6-1 a motion to reconsider the proposal this June. Board member Christopher Kocinski voted against the motion.
Hire of human resources executive approved
The board voted unanimously to approve the hiring of Luke Pavone as the district’s new assistant superintendent of human resources, with an annual base salary of about $165,000, and a start date of July 1, 2020. Pavone will replace Mark Cohen, who is leaving the district to be the superintendent of Mokena Elementary District 159.
Agreement with bus company accepted
Board members voted unanimously to approve an interim agreement with Cottage Hill for the 2019-20 school closure at 51 percent of the average normal daily rate. Cottage Hill has been the district’s bus company for special education students for several years. Cottage Hill drivers were laid off when school buildings closed in March. Chris Whelton, the district’s assistant superintendent for finance and operations, stated the district has a great relationship with Cottage Hill, and wants its drivers to return when regular classes resume.
The board also approved an amendment of its agreement with First Student for transportation services at 75 percent of the average normal daily rate. First Student provides regular bus transportation for the district. Whelton stated that First Student did not furlough its drivers when school buildings closed in March. Whelton stated it is important to for the district to have a long-term partnership with its bus companies.
Funds for Thiems grants approved
The board voted to approve the award of about $134,000 in funds for the 2020 Thiems Grants. The grants are a memorial to Dr. Russell Thiems, a former superintendent of District 205. The 2020 Thiems grants will benefit every K-12 school in the district.
Donations from D205 Foundation accepted
Board members also voted to approve acceptance of donations from the District 205 Foundation related to emergency support of students in need during the current COVID-19 pandemic. The approved donations from the District 205 Foundation include $5,000 in funding to provide emergency gift cards to be used for food purchases for Elmhurst students. Additionally, the donations include $10,000 to support the costs related to providing emergency relief for food purchases, rent, utilities and other basic necessities for Elmhurst students. The District 205 Foundation’s donations also include about $15,500 in funding to support costs associated with providing 50 additional Wi-Fi hotspots and 750 chargers for the district’s middle school Chromebook users.
The board will hold its next regular meeting on May 12.
