Summary of October 17, 2006 Board of Education Meeting

Enrollment and programs require more room for CCSD 180 students and staff

A need for short and long-term facility expansion is what the CCSD 180 Board of Education heard from its Facility Needs Committee at its October 17, 2006 meeting. Facility Committee members Renee Paladino, Louis Ebert, Dr. Donald Higgins and Superintendent Frank Rink reported to the Board that a 12% increase in enrollment and additional programs that address the needs of students representing some changing demographics have resulted in the need for some expansion of facilities in the school district. The committee shared a summary of current facility utilization, which has each building using almost every inch of available space. The Teachers’ Workroom at Anne M. Jeans Elementary School has been reconfigured to accommodate another classroom. Teacher work pods at Burr Ridge Middle School are being used for special education and reading intervention classrooms. Even the Board of Education Conference Room is being used during the day as the Behavior Improvement Center classroom.
The Board authorized the Superintendent to contact the school district’s architects to assess the possibility of renovating some current storage and unused space for classrooms and to review some long-term solutions that may require alternate forms of funding.

In other action, the Burr Ridge CCSD #180 Board . . .

. . . employed Mrs. Brandy McCarthy (AMJES First Grade Teacher) and Mrs. Tracy Ritchey (AMJES Fourth Grade Teacher) to increase the number of homerooms at those grade levels, thereby maintaining low class sizes.

. . . reviewed quotations for wood siding caulking at Burr Ridge Middle School and gymnasium carpeting at Anne M. Jeans Elementary School. Due to estimated costs, both projects will require bidding procedures.

. . . reviewed progress of the Superintendent search. Superintendent Rink reported that application documents are due November 1, 2006, after which he will share applicant information with the Search Committee consisting of Board President Paula Dupont and Secretary Linda Jones.

. . . made its second reading and adopted the school district’s wellness policy. This particular policy is a relatively new state mandate. Due to CCSD 180 compliance with state and federal breakfast and lunch guidelines and its curricular policy of every-day physical education classes for children, the wellness policy does not require substantial changes within the school district.

. . . reviewed suggested revisions/additions to Section 7 of Board Policies relating to Students. The school district is within two or three months of finalizing its comprehensive five-year review of the Board Policy Handbook.

. . . reviewed a presentation that was given to parents of GATE (Gifted and Talent Enrichment) students at Mary Kinsman’s October 10 meeting with them.

. . . presented its Award of Excellence to Mrs. Elizabeth Lively and to Mr. Stephen Lively.

. . . employed Meronica Hargrove as Teacher Assistant at AMJES.

. . . approved the request by teacher Kristen Drain for a child-care leave of absence.

. . . changed the date of its December 12, 2006 Regular Meeting to December 19, 2006.

. . . heard reports from the administration including the following reports from Superintendent Rink:

A. Safety Reviews at CCSD 180—Employee Risk//ROE/Fire Chief
B. Board of Education Election Nominating Petitions
C. Upcoming Tax Levy
D. December Board of Education Meeting
E. Board of Education Members as Mandated Reporters of Child Abuse and Neglect
F. Bus Idling Limitations
G. Employer Contributions to Early Retirement Option of the Teacher Retirement System
H. SASED
I. Athletics
J. E-Rate Revenues
K. AED Training
L. Facility Changes to Accommodate Two Additional Classroom Sections
M. ISAT Data
N. “Community Pride Group” Meeting on October 3
O. Food Services Program
P. Website Updates
Q. Section 8002 Conference Reports

The Board’s next regularly scheduled meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 21, 2006 at 7:30 p.m. in the Board Room of Burr Ridge CCSD #180.

Click here to access the actual minutes of this meeting