AGENDA
BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING
ADMINISTRATION OFFICE
80 S. RIVER ST.
AURORA, IL 60506
Monday Evening September 17, 2007
6:00 P.M.

I.          Call to Order
II.         Roll Call
III.        Pledge of Allegiance

IV.       Recognition of Visitors

This section of the agenda allows for the recognition of any individuals or groups whose attendance should be appropriately acknowledged. 

V.        Recognition of Audience Wishing to Speak to an Agenda Item

Persons wishing to address the Board are requested to submit questions or proposals in writing.  In order to encourage public participation, individuals wishing to address a specific agenda topic will be asked to indicate which topic and then will speak once the topic is introduced later in the meeting.

VI.       Recognition of Audience Wishing to Speak to the Board

Any formal request to appear before the Board may be considered at this time.  As of this writing, we have received no formal requests to address the September Board of Education Meeting.  Persons wishing to address the Board are asked to sign up in advance of the meeting, indicating the topic which they would like to discuss.

VII.      Special Recognition

The Board of Education will give special recognition to cast members and directors of the Spring Musical, “Miss Saigon”.

VIII.     ACTION ITEMS

A.        Release of Executive Session Minutes Under legislation passed by the Illinois General Assembly, the Board is required to periodically review the minutes of its executive sessions to determine whether or not confidentiality still exists.  We earlier prepared for distribution to the Board a copy of those confidential minutes along with the recommendation regarding release.

RECOMMENDATION:  That the Board of Education find that the Executive Session minutes for the period of March, 2006 until September, 2007 not be released for public review.

B.        Financial Responsibility

                        1.         Illinois' law requires the Board of Education to adopt a motion authorizing the staff to begin work on the District's budgets for the 2008-09 school term.  The following motion fulfills this legal requirement:

RECOMMENDATION:  That the Board of Education authorize and direct the administrative staff of District 129 to prepare a tentative school district budget for the 2008-09 school year (July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2009).  Such a budget shall be prepared for adoption on or before the end of the first quarter of the school fiscal year.  Also, the Board of Education authorizes and directs the administrative staff to prepare a tentative budget for the 2008-2009 fiscal year for the Hope D. Wall School prior to September 1, 2008.

2.         Fuel Bid On August 28, 2007 fuel bids were opened for unleaded gasoline, ULS diesel fuel and B2 ULS diesel fuel for the 2007-08 school year.  Three vendors submitted bids.  Included with your backup material is a copy of the bid recap.  Approval is requested.

RECOMMENDATION:  That the Board of Education approve the low qualified bid and award the bid to Texor Petroleum Co. for unleaded gasoline at 4.0299 with no fuel transportation cost and B2 ULS diesel fuel bid at $.03999 with no transportation costs for the 2007-08 school year.

3.         Copier Lease Included in your backup material is information relative to the leasing a copier for Transportation.  The present machine has incurred costly repairs and is not equipped to do the volume of copying needed for that department. 

RECOMMENDATION:  That the Board of Education approve entering into a five-year lease agreement with Ricoh Business Solutions for a Ricoh MP 5500SP copier for the Transportation Department at a cost of $864 per quarter.

4.         One Year Bus Lease

Included in your backup material is information relative to the one-year lease of two buses from Midwest Transit Equipment.  This is needed until new buses can be purchased.  The lease cost for two busses is $25,214.  The Board is being asked to approve this one year lease at this time.

RECOMMENDATION:  That the Board of Education approve entering into a one-year lease agreement with Midwest Transit for two buses at total cost of $25,214.

IX.       Consent Agenda

1. Approval of Minutes
2. Approval of Bill Listings
3. Payroll Authorization
4. Personnel Report
5. Appointments – Administrative Contracts
6. Appointments – Certified Probationary – Full Time
7. Appointments – Educational Support Personnel
8. Application for Recognition of Schools

RECOMMENDATION: That the Board of Education approve the items contained in the Consent Agenda for September 17, 2007.

X.        Action as a Result of Executive Session

XI.       Information and Discussion

A.        Teaching and Learning

1.         Plan of Work Included in your backup material is a copy of the Revised Teaching and Learning Plan of Work.

                        2.         President of District 129’s My ePD

Rosemary Pinnick will provide an overview of Avatar PDMS, a full-featured web-based software solution that will provide 24/7 online registration for professional development activities with comprehensive attendance management, credit tracking, evaluations, certificates and transcripts for all District 129 employees.

3.         Doctoral Study Included in your backup material is a copy of a letter from Marin Gonzalez, requesting the Board’s permission to conduct a research study that involves Hispanic students for her doctoral program.

B.        Safe Secure Facilities

1.         Facilities Update

Pete Kerl will be present to provide the Board with an update of facilities needs.

C.        Financial Responsibility

            1.         Audit Update

John Weber from Crowe Chizek will be present to update the Board on the recently conducted audit.

D.        Community Involvement

E.        Correspondence

1.         Letter from Mayor Thomas Weisner Included in your background material is a copy of a letter from Mayor Weisner thanking the district for assisting in the Independence Day fireworks ceremony.  The City used West High’s parking lot as a pick-up and drop-off point for the shuttle services.  Also, the District provided shuttle service to and from the fireworks site.

2.         Letter to Chief Tom Fetzer

            Included in your backup material is a copy of a letter from David Brusak, Principal of Goodwin Elementary School, thanking Chief Fetzer for assistance in developing a traffic improvement plan around Goodwin Elementary School.

XII.      MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION ITEMS

                   A.        Dates to Remember

            B.        Article highlights to Sept. 7, 2007

FEARN

Included in your backup material are articles from:

Aug. 12 Beacon picture of students at Prisco

Aug. 17 Daily Herald column on sending student off to kindergarten

FREEMAN

Included in your backup material are articles from:

Aug. 12 Beacon picture of school play

GOODWIN

Included in your backup material are articles from:

Aug. 24 Daily Herald article on Mothers Club giving to Goodwin, Fearn, Jewel, Schneider, Herget, Todd and Hope Wall

Aug. 24 Daily Herald story on Goodwin parking restrictions

JEWEL

Included in your backup material are articles from:

Aug. 23 Chronicle story on opening day of classes

TODD

Included in your backup material are articles from:

Aug. 16 Beacon article on screenings

WASHINGTON

Included in your backup material are articles from:

Aug. 17 Beacon column on how text messaging is affecting grammar

WEST HIGH SCHOOL

Included in your backup material are articles from:

Aug. 3 El Conquistador article on Dunham Academy

Aug. 10 USA Weekend article about Miss Saigon

Aug. 12 Reflejos cover story and pictures on registration

Aug. 17 Chronicle article on gym floor

Aug. 21 Beacon story on 8-period day

Aug. 21 Daily Herald story on 8-period day

Aug. 22 Beacon feature and pictures on football class for moms

Aug. 27 Beacon story on gym floor

DISTRICT

Included in your backup material are articles from:

August Athletic Business magazine story and pictures on webcasts

Aug. 20 Beacon story on volunteering in schools

Aug. 21 Beacon story and pictures on staff opening day

Sept. 1 Chronicle picture of superintendents and helmet

Sept. 6 Beacon story and picture on heat and schools

XIII.     Adjourn

1. The next meeting of the Board of Education is scheduled for Monday, October 1, 2007 at 6:00 p.m. at West High School, 1201 W. New York Street, Aurora, IL in the Health Academy (Enter at Door #1).

CONSENT AGENDA FOR SEPTEMBER 17, 2007

The Board of Education's Consent Agenda contains those motions or resolutions which are deemed routine and/or require little or no discussion.  The use of the consent Agenda is intended to expedite the meeting by the elimination of repetitive roll calls and unnecessary discussions.  A Consent Agenda item will be removed from the Consent Agenda prior to its passage upon the request of any Board member.  The roll call of votes on the approval of the Consent Agenda shall constitute the roll call of votes on each and every Consent Agenda motion or resolution as if each were voted on individually.

IX.       Consent Agenda

A.        Approval of Minutes

Included with the Board's backup materials are the minutes of the Board of Education meetings held over the past month.

RECOMMENDATION:  That the minutes of the Board of Education meetings held on September 4, 2007.

B.        Bills for Payment

Board members were previously provided with listings of District Bills for review.

RECOMMENDATION:  That the Board of Education approve and accept bill listings in the amount of $1,161,299.93 and Hope Wall bill listings in the amount of $12,033.89 for the period ending September 17, 2007.

C.      Payroll Authorization

Authorization is requested for payrolls for the month of October, 2007.

RECOMMENDATION:  That the Board of Education   authorize payrolls for the month of October, 2007 in an amount not to exceed $5,500,000.00.

D.        Personnel Report

In the Personnel Report for September 17, 2007, we are advising of the resignations of Tina Schertzer, Drama Teacher @ Jefferson; Alicia Morales, Hearing Impaired Interpreter.

RECOMMENDATION:  That the Board of Education approve and accept the Personnel Report for September 17, 2007.

The following staff were employed in District 129 during the 2006-07 school year as permanent subs and will return to this role for the 2007-08 school year:  

            E.        Appointments – Certified Probationary – Full Time

RECOMMENDATION:  That the Board of Education approve the appointment of the following Certified Probationary Full Time personnel:

            F.         Appointments – Certified Probationary – Part Time

RECOMMENDATION:  That the Board of Education approve the appointment of the following Certified Probationary Part Time personnel:

Andrew Madden, PE @ Washington

Robin Marlowe, Long Term Substitute, PE @ Jewel

Penny Mayer, Long Term Substitute, Exceptional Needs, Hope Wall

G.        Appointments – Educational Support Personnel – Full Time

RECOMMENDATION:  That the Board of Education approve the appointment of the following Educational Support Personnel:

Deborah Nardone, Community Relations Coordinator

Stacy Rangel, Title I Paraprofessional, Nicholson

Bettie Buffer, Custodian, West High

Maria Morales, Custodian, West High

Taureen Price, Bus Driver, Transportation

Sheila Feliciano, PPS Bilingual Office Professional, Hope Wall

Debra Glock, PPS Records Office Professiona,  Adm.

H.        Application for Recognition

Each building must respond to the assurances in order to receive Recognition from the State Board of Education in accordance with Section 2-3.25 of the School Code and the 23 Illinois Administrative Code, Part I.  All information has been verified and all buildings qualify to receive State recognition.

RECOMMENDATION:  That the Board of Education approve the 2007-08 Application for Recognition of Schools for the following District 129 Schools:

Fearn Elementary School

Freeman Elementary School

Goodwin Elementary School

Greenman Elementary School

Hall Elementary School

Hill Elementary School

Lincoln Elementary School

McCleery Elementary School

Nicholson Elementary School

Schneider Elementary School

Smith Elementary School

Todd Elementary School

Hope Wall School

Herget Middle School

Jefferson Middle School

Jewel Middle School

Washington Middle School

West Senior High School

RECOMMENDATION:  That the Board of Education approve the recommendations contained in the Consent Agenda for September 17, 2007.