Elmhurst District 205 School Board has Much to do Tonight

Elmhurst Unit District 205 School Board will meet in closed session at 6 p.m. tonight, Tuesday, May 24, at the administration building, 162 S. York St.

Following closed session, during which the board will discuss employment of an employee and collective negotiations, the board will re-convene in open session for its regular business meeting at 7:30 p.m.

The first order of business is to recognize students and staff for their achievements. Recognition will be presented to students who participated in the following activities: 

• Family Career and Community Leaders of America
• Illinois Drafting Educators Association CAD Competition
• SkillsUSA Competition

The board also will recognize Assistant Superintenent of Finance Pat Masterton, who received the Ronald Everett Distinguished Service Award from the Illinois Association of School Boards.

Audience members will then have an opportunity to speak for up to three minutes on the subject of their choice. 

After public comment, the board will hear a proposal on the . An anonymous donor has offered to donate the entire $150,000 cost of installation of new lights, which will eliminate light spill into the neighborhood and allow for increased use of the stadium. The superintendent will recommend that the board accept the donation and install the lights in time for the fall sports season. 

The School Board will then embark on a discussion of Title I programming for fiscal year 2012. The board will look at operating a schoolwide Title 1 program at Fischer Elementary School, which would mean a comprehensive upgrade for the entire educational program at Fischer to meet the needs of all students, but particularly low-achieving students. In order to be eligible for Title 1 status, a school must have a greater than 40 percent low-income population. Fischer is 47.4 percent low-income. Currently, certain students receive targeted Title 1 assistance. 

The board will then go over the results of a survey. Participants in the Educational Program Review process, which was instrumental in determining what areas of curriculum and programming would be cut from the district, were asked to give their opinion on the process. The board will hear whether they thought the EEPRT process was well done, whether they were provided adequate tools to make informed decisions and whether they would participate in such a process again.

Following approval of minutes of the April 25 and May 10 meetings, the board will consider the superintendent’s consent agenda. In addition to financial and personnel reports, the agenda includes: 

• Freedom of Information Act request
• Approval of middle school social studies instructional materials
• Approval of donation to Jefferson Elementary School
• Approval of a resolution of appointment to DuPage Area Occupational Education System Board
• Approval to dispose of district equipment
• Approval of printer/copier lease
• Approval of Microsoft license agreement
• Approval of resolution ascertaining prevailing wages

The board will then vote on whether to accept the donation for stadium lights and approve a bid to install them.

After a discussion of upcoming meetings, the board will take action on a closed session item: approval of an employment contract for a new Bryan Middle School principal.