Schools

District 205 Set to Approve Nursing Contract with Elmhurst Memorial Hospital

New state legislation has increased liability risk for school districts statewide; replacing health aides with full-time nurses at each school will alleviate that risk, officials say.

Elmhurst Unit District 205 Board will hold a workshop meeting at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 8, at the administration building, 162 S. York.

The meeting will be preceded by a closed session to discuss employment of an employee.

The main action item on the agenda is a vote to approve a contract with Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare for nursing services.

In the past several years, the number of students with life threatening conditions enrolled in Elmhurst District 205 has increased, according to information in the board packet. State mandates, such as the Epi Pen Act and the Diabetes Care Act, have increased the potential liability for school districts, so the administration is proposing replacing health aides with full time nurses at each building to significantly reduce that liability.

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The current cost of salaries and benefits for health aides/nurses is $925,000. That will be increased by $38,000 in 2012-13 with the proposed contract.

Among the other items on the agenda tonight are student and staff recognitions:

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  • Science Olympiad participants will be honored for their achievements at the state tournament April 14. From Churchville, Andrew Frank and Elena Vezmar earned first place in Bottle Rocket, and Andrew Kelley and Brian Strauch earned third place in Awesome Aquifers. From Sandburg, Sarah Eaton and Katherine Pasternock earned first place in Microbe Mission, Eric Comings and Katherine Toohey earned first in Dynamic Planet, and Comings and Martha Eaton earned third in Water Quality.
  • York High School senior Jacob Ruprecht is one of only 100 students in Illinois to receive the Principal's Leadership Award, presented by the National Association of Secondary School Principals/Herff Jones. The award recognizes leadership skills, participation in service organizations and clubs, achievement in the arts and sciences, employment experience and academic record.
  • York High School science teacher Jeremy Paschke was named Outstanding High School Teacher by the Illinois Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers. He was nominated by fellow teacher Mark Golebiowski because he has "demonstrated a sensitivity and awareness of his students and is able to ascertain how his students are learning through the use of innovative, formative assessments and inquiry."

Following the recognitions, the public will be invited to speak for up to three minutes on any topic.

The board will then make the following appointments and committee assignments:

  • Legislative Education Network of DuPage County representative
  • School Association for Special Education in DuPage County representative
  • Illinois Association of School Boards delegate
  • Lizzadro Museum representative
  • City/park/school representatives
  • Board Improvement and Police Committee
  • Curriculum and Instruction Committee
  • Finance and Operations Committee
  • Performance Management Committee

The board will then hear a 2011 property tax analysis, followed by reports on work being done in the Board Improvement and Policy Committee, the Curriculum and Instruction Committee, and the Finance and Operations Committee.

The superintendent's consent agenda will include approval of health and dental insurance renewal, as well as student fees, and the board will vote on the nursing contract with Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare.

Finally, the School Board will review its upcoming meetings and hear any other communications.


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