Arlington Heights School District 25 Board of Education Met Jan. 7.
Here is the minutes provided by the board:
Brian Cerniglia, President of the Arlington Heights School District 25 Board of Education, called the meeting to order on January 7, 2021 to accept a motion to adjourn into closed session at 7:05 p.m. The meeting was held remotely via Zoom.
The meeting was noticed for closed session to discuss: Appointment, Employment, Compensation, Discipline, Performance or Dismissal of Specific
Employees/Independent Contractors/Volunteers of the District, 5 ILCS 120/2 (c)(1); Review closed session minutes, 5 ILCS 120/2 (c)(21); Collective negotiating matters, 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(2); Security procedures, school building safety and security, 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(8).
Special Meeting
Brian Cerniglia, President of the Arlington Heights School District 25 Board of Education, called the special meeting to order at 7:32 p.m. on January 7, 2021. The meeting was held remotely via Zoom. Roll call was noted and the Pledge of Allegiance said.
Board members present: Brian Cerniglia, Chad Conley, Gina Faso, Scott Filipek, Erin Johannesen, Rich Olejniczak, and Anisha Ismail Patel
Board members excused: None
Others Present: Dr. Lori Bein, Superintendent; Stacey Mallek, Assistant Superintendent for Business/CSBO; Dr. Brian Kaye, Assistant Superintendent of Personnel and Planning; Chris Fahnoe, Director of Technology and Assessment; Adam Harris, Head of Communications and Story Telling; Brad Katz, Information Technology Specialist; and Lana O’Brien, Recording Secretary.
Community Input
Dr. Bein read categories of public comments that were received electronically. All comments will be given to the Board in full and posted on the website tomorrow. They will also be attached to the Board minutes.
• 3 - The District should stay in hybrid until a vaccine is widely available • 4 - The District should take an adaptive pause
• 3 - The District should not take an adaptive pause
• 1 - The science does not support wearing masks - wearing masks is endangering our kids’ health. Also, a suggestion to use UV light instead of school disinfectant. • 1 - Continue to allow students to go home for lunch if they choose. The process works well.
• 1 - Please add more details (for example, when a person became contagious) on the Covid positive notification letters
• 1 - Some people pressing for full in-person are also traveling and attending indoor gatherings
• 1 – Dr. Bein should not have the sole authority to move Thomas Middle School to remote learning
• 1 - The metrics process has become confusing; I can’t believe we didn’t take an adaptive pause
• 1 - Consider separating remote learners from in-person learners • 1 - Parents who support hybrid learning do not all support full in-person learning • 1 - Do not separate remote learners from in-person learners by creating new classrooms
• 1 - Please provide information on availability of vaccines and if students will be required to receive the vaccine
• 21 - Move to five full days of in-person learning
• 2 - Keep students in school
• 1 - Would like guidance on ISBE guidelines for meeting the minimum public health guidance. ISBE says “greatest extent possible”, but a school message said “where feasible”. Which is it?
• 1 - Why does Dr. Bein not want schools open?
• 1 - Use current metrics - not outdated metrics from August.
• 6 - Move to Step 4. My school has 75% choosing in-person learning. • 1 - Move to remote based on health department guidelines - not ones created by the Board
• 2 - Notify parents when there is a positive Covid-19 case in their child’s classroom
• 1 - Finalize your metrics tonight and return to following the best governance practices related to Board duties and Superintendent duties
• 1 - I don’t agree that we should have 5 out of 6 metrics in the concerning area. Any one of them could cause a health concern.
• 1 - Board members are not protecting our schools. They must recuse themselves from decisions related to safety and leave the decisions to Dr. Bein who has proven to make safety decisions before
• 1 - Stop surveying us and just return to school. Go four days and use classroom specific metrics
• 1 - Allow the Superintendent to make safety decisions based on her knowledge just like she does for inclement weather
• 2 - Students with special needs need to continue to be in school • 1 - Follow all public health guidance; don’t just selectively follow some of it • 1 - Eliminate metrics to start Step 4 and look only at classroom data
Mr. Cerniglia thanked everyone for submitting comments and providing input, and noted that Board members read each comment submitted.
Committee of the Whole Reports
Superintendent Report
Transitional Model of Reopening Metrics
Dr. Bein provided information on the transitional model of reopening metrics. Entry criteria for Step 4 were determined by the Board on November 12, 2020. Once the district enters Step 4 the hybrid learning model will no longer exist, and the only possible movement would be between Step 4 and full remote. Everything is fluid and as the pandemic, or guidance from the public health departments change, plans may need to be adjusted.
Dr. Bein reviewed the metrics chart, which includes seven critical components. She asked the Board if they wanted to add mitigation strategies as an eighth component; to review the Region 10 positivity rate; to review total staff absences; and to review the numbers for significant concern. Board members thanked Dr. Bein for all the work that she and her team have put into the information provided.
Board members asked questions and there was discussion regarding utilizing school level instead of district-level metrics, and what happens with a classroom or school-level adaptive pause.
Ms. Patel left the meeting at 8:14 p.m.
Ms. Patel returned to the meeting at 8:17 p.m.
A Board member stated that the Board should focus on the governance work that they are supposed to do, and needs to have trust in the district leadership and staff to perform the operations work of the district.
Mr. Cerniglia asked if there is a motion for creating exit metrics at this time. Hearing none, no motion was voted on. The Board agreed they did not need to set specific metrics that would guide any future return to remote learning, so the motion to adopt and implement the related metrics scorecard did not move forward.
Mr. Cerniglia asked Dr. Bein if there is anything in the materials or content that is worthy of discussion. Dr. Bein noted that the document which shows the number of students now invited for 4-day hybrid has been updated. Patton originally had 42 students, but now has 62 that are currently invited. Dr. Bein reviewed the number of students invited at each school. There was discussion to how many students are in each classroom, and how it is being communicated to families.
A Board member proposed that the district return to full in-person learning without meeting the metrics that the Board approved at the November 12, 2020 meeting. Dr. Bein stated that if the Board votes to remove the metrics, the district will have to go into impact bargaining with the ATA, as the bargaining so far has been based on the Board approved metrics. Also, parents are making their decisions based on these metrics, and if it will change, the district will need to re-survey parents. Dr. Bein reviewed the metrics for full in-person that the Board approved at the November 12, 2020 meeting, which states that the district will return to full in-person learning when these metrics are met.
The Board requested that the Superintendent and her team continue to monitor the internal District 25 COVID-19 numbers and the mitigation strategies used to limit in school transmission. If the Cook County Department of Public Health determines that a specific classroom or school should take an adaptive pause due to data related to that specific area of the school district, the Superintendent will work with the health department and the Board to implement their guidance.
Motion: E. Johannesen moved and R. Olejniczak seconded that the Board of Education adjourn the meeting.
Roll Call: B. Cerniglia, yes; C. Conley, yes; G. Faso, yes; S. Filipek, yes; E. Johannesen, yes; R. Olejniczak, yes; A. Patel, yes. Motion carried 7/0.
The meeting adjourned at 9:05 p.m.
https://www.sd25.org/cms/lib/IL01904427/Centricity/Domain/41/210107%20Board%20Minutes%20Special.pdf
Alerts Sign-up