Glen Ellyn School District 41 Glen Ellyn School District 41
 

Glen Ellyn School District 41 Mission: It is the mission of District 41 to advocate for students enabling each one to optimize his/her potential within a culture of continuous improvement.

Board Members: Steven Vondrak President | Robert Solak Vice President | Erica Nelson Secretary | Terra Costa Howard | Drew Ellis | Jack Kahler | Dan Smith Jr.

Following is a summary of the Board of Education meeting held on December 7, 2009.   An MP3 recording of the meeting is available on www.d41.org   Minutes are posted once approved.

UPDATE ON STANDARDS BASED REPORT CARD
Report cards have gone home for the first trimester and Assistant Superintendent for Teaching, Learning and Accountability Karen Carlson provided the BOE with information about the new Standards Based Report Card (SBRC). The SBRC is being field-tested this year by about 100 teachers. Field-test feedback will be used to help ensure a smooth transition to full implementation next year. The report card is the result of nearly two years of work by the Report Card/Assessment Committee, whose purpose was to develop a report card that aligned with the curriculum and communicated clear, objective actionable information about student learning. More information about the SBRC can be found here  

 UPCOMING MEETINGS
The Jan. 4 BOE meeting will be held at the Central Services Office, 793 N. Main St., Glen Ellyn, at 7:30 p.m. The Jan. 19 meeting will be held at Forest Glen School, 561 Elm St., Glen Ellyn, at 7:30 p.m. The public is welcome to attend.
TAX LEVY ADOPTED
Following the annual Truth in Taxation public hearing, the BOE adopted the 2009 tax levy. There were no public comments at the hearing, and the district has received none since the levy was put on display Nov. 3. The levy is the request for funds that the district submits to the DuPage County Clerk and that is reflected in residents' property tax bills. The tax cap law allows an increase of taxes limited by 5% or the CPI, whichever is less. CPI is 0.1% for this year's levy cycle; taxes on new construction provide additional dollars. This year, the district is requesting $40,043,392, which is an increase over last year of 2.52%. It expects to actually receive an increase of approximately .87%. An individual's property tax bill is determined by the value of their property and the District 41 portion may change by some other percentage. In the spring, the county clerk will calculate the actual amount (called the extension) that the district is eligible to receive under the tax cap. Here is more information on the levy timeline and process as well as FAQs.



DISTRICT DEVELOPS INTERNET SAFETY CURRICULUM
In compliance to a new state law, D41 Library Media Specialists have developed an Internet Safety curriculum for grades 3-8, and the BOE will update its policy relative to the subject. In general, the idea of the law is to ensure that schools have a developmentally appropriate curriculum in place to promote safe and discerning use of this powerful learning tool.



PREPARATIONS FOR NEW FOIA LAW
Starting in January, a new Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) goes into effect with more stringent requirements. The purpose of the law is to promote transparency and accountability by providing members of the public prompt access to documents that pertain to the business of public bodies such as municipalities and school districts. The timeline for responding to requests has been shortened, provisions put in place for designating and training FOIA officers, and exemptions from the act have been trimmed. In addition, the state has created a new position called the Public Access Counselor who will approve FOIA denials and adjudicate disputes. D41 will post updated FOIA information on its Web site and the BOE will update its FOIA policy and procedure. Although there are exceptions, in general, beginning Jan. 1, a written request for information provided to the district should be fulfilled within five business days. D41 will provide a FOIA form for convenience, but requestors do not need to use it--any written request will do. The BOE appointed Assistant Superintendent for Finance, Facilities and Operations Bob Ciserella as its FOIA officer.




BOE APPROVES COMPUTER REPLACEMENTS
The BOE approved replacement of 110 obsolete computers from Victorin Business Systems through a lease with American Capital Leasing for a 5-year buyout lease for a total annual cost of $24,229. At the end of the term, the leasing company will sell the equipment, proceeds going to the district. The BOE had discussed the matter at its Nov. 16 meeting




BOE REVIEWING POLICY
The BOE is a policy-making body, and part of its work is to systematically review and update its policy. This work starts with the BOE Policy Committee, composed of BOE Secretary Erica Nelson and BOE Member Dan Smith Jr. The committee brings its suggested revisions to the full BOE for possibly multiple readings before the revisions are formally adopted. Currently, the BOE is reviewing revised language for a number of policies in sections 6 (instructional matters) and 7 (student matters). The complete policy manual can be found here



PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
A resident commented on the Standards Based Report Card field test, particularly about metrics to analyze the effectiveness of the new report card, the possibility of adding categories, and what happens when students do not meet standards at the end of a school year.







About the Glen Ellyn School District Board of Education
Board members are unpaid volunteers, each representing the whole district. The board is accountable to the public and makes decisions as a unit based on what is best for the whole district. The board hires the superintendent, sets instructional policy, approves the budget and ongoing expenditures, and is ultimately responsible for the performance of the district. Board meetings are working sessions held in public during which the board conducts its business, and ample time is always set aside for public participation.  
Please direct your questions or comments to our Communications Director, Julie Worthen at jworthen@d41.org.
Glen Ellyn School District 41