mar 17 | bOARDBuzz

The bOARDBuzz is compiled following District 25 School Board meetings and serves as a recap of what occurred.

• For the full agenda of the Regular Meeting, please click here.

This meeting was recorded and that recording can be viewed by clicking here.

As always, the bOARDBuzz is archived at www.sd25.org/BoardBuzz.

6:15 PM

7:00 PM

A. Hearts of Gold Staff Recognition

The Board of Education recognized and celebrated the two District 25 staff who were honored with a Village of Arlington Heights Hearts of Gold Award last month.

• Lisa Smorczewski, Westgate Elementary School - Educator
• Sandra Vliet, Thomas Middle School - Kenneth M. Bonder Beautification

To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.

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B. Thomas Poms Team State Participants

The Board of Education recognized and celebrated Thomas's Poms Team for their participation in the State Tournament:

Lorelei Butcher | Scarlett Bywater | Gretchen Enz | Emma Foster

Lelu Horvat | Katya Konyk | Abigail Mau | Sydney OBrill

Sofia Paciorek | Audrey Panico | Norah Parisi | Maddie Thompson

Ella Tomasiewicz | Maya Tyson | Ellie Varrato | Allison Zanini

The Board also honored and celebrated their coaches Gaby Mularczyk and Carly Lange.

To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.

In this portion of the meeting, the three organizations below addressed Board members.

• ATA (Arlington Teachers Association)
• South Middle School's Drama Teacher, Wes Skym, presented this portion of the meeting by celebrating Theater & Music in Our Schools Month, as declared by the Village of Arlington Heights. Mr. Skym was joined by a group of South Students who delivered the majority of the presentation and updated the Board on theater and music happenings all around the District.
• Student Presenters: Claudio R, Max L, Kinsey P, Archie K, Cece F, Leah B, Aidan B, Greyson E, & Leona R
• AHC PTA
• AHC PTA President Erin Lakomski submitted an update that Board Member Melissa Buchberger read aloud.
• ABC25 Foundation
• Dr. Kaye highlighted the upcoming ABC25 Foundation Golf Fore Education event.

To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.

Community members are invited to address the Board during this public comment portion of the meeting. According to Board Policy, public comment is heard for 30 minutes at Board of Education meetings and members of the community have three minutes to address the Board.

*No members of the community elected to address the Board during this portion.

Click here to watch this portion of the meeting.

Please remember that the Board can be reached outside of Board Meeting hours by emailing boardfeedback@sd25.org.

In this portion of the meeting, Board members catch one another up on the happenings each member has experienced individually since the last meeting. Also, some Board members are appointed as representatives to attend meetings on behalf of the District 25 Board of Education for different organizations. Those members convey relative information to the entire Board at the monthly meeting.

• Board Member Updates | All Board members reporting
• Legislative Report | Kevin Michael reporting
• Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) &
  Consortium of State School Boards Associations (COSSBA) | Dr. Anisha I. Jogee reporting
  
• NSSEO | Dr. Brian Kaye reporting
  

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MOTION: APPROVED

A. Approval of Consent Agenda Items

That the Board of Education approve those items on the Consent Agenda as follows: (A) Personnel Report and Addendum to Personnel Report; (B) Treasurer's Report (C) Invoices; (D) Regular and Closed Session Meeting Minutes of February 17, 2026; (E) Special Meeting Minutes of February 24, 2026.

The consent agenda documents can be seen by clicking here to visit Diligent Community and scrolling to this section of the agenda.

To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.

A. Middle School Math Curriculum Adoption

That the Board of Education approve the Middle School Math Curriculum Adoption as presented.

At the February 2026 meeting, Assistant Superintendent of Student Learning Dr. Becky FitzPatrick, Math & Science Curriculum Coordinator Sean McGann, and South Middle School teachers Tiffany Marston and Maddie Mowery presented the math committee’s recommendation of Savvas enVision+ as the next middle school math curriculum for District 25, following a comprehensive, multi-year program review process.

The item was brought back to the March 2026 meeting for Board adoption.

For a PDF of the presentation from February 2026, click here.

To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.

To view this in Diligent Community, including any documents associated with this item, click here and scroll to this section of the agenda.

To watch the Board discuss and vote on this item, click here.

A. Instructional Program Restructuring

Assistant Superintendent of Student Services, Diane Kaffka, presented the Board with a plan to implement a dual-site K–5 Instructional Program. The north-side Patton Elementary location will serve students heading to Thomas Middle School, while Windsor Elementary will continue serving students attending South Middle School. A phased approach will begin in the 2026-27 school year, with Kindergarten–2nd grade, allowing for smooth transitions, continuity for current students, and stronger middle school peer connections. Full implementation across all grades is expected by 2029–30.

For a PDF of the presentation, click here.

To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.

To view this in Diligent Community, including any documents associated with this item, click here and scroll to this section of the agenda.

To watch the Board discuss this item, click here.

MOTION: APPROVED

A. Student Fees | 2026-27

That the Board of Education approve the Student Fees for the 2026-2027 school year as presented.

As they do each year, the Administration brought recommendations to the Board of Education regarding student fees. Assistant Superintendent of Business/CSBO, Stacey Mallek reported the following recommendations: 📎 Student Fees 26-27 260310.pdf 📎

To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.

To view this in Diligent Community, including any documents associated with this item, click here and scroll to this section of the agenda.

To watch the Board discuss and vote on this item, click here.

A. Rand School Update

Director of Facilities Management, Ryan Schulz, presented the Board with a review of the Rand Facility lease. After a comprehensive building assessment, staff does not recommend renewing the current lease with Futabakai School under its existing terms due to long-term financial and facility sustainability concerns. Staff remains open to negotiating a new lease or exploring other options for the property, with the Board retaining full authority to evaluate any future proposals.

Administration will notify Futabakai School that the current lease will not be renewed in its existing form when it expires in March 2028, and staff will return to the Board with a broader analysis of options, including potential new lease terms, or alternative uses, ensuring any future arrangement is financially sustainable. No action or expenditure is requested at this time.

For a PDF of the presentation, click here.

To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.

To view this in Diligent Community, including any documents associated with this item, click here and scroll to this section of the agenda.

To watch the Board discuss this item, click here.

MOTION: APPROVED

B. Grass Cutting Bid

That the Board of Education approve the Grass Cutting Services bid for the period 2026–2030 in the amount of $251,009 and award the contract to Gilio Landscape, the lowest responsible and responsive bidder.

Director of Facilities Management, Ryan Schulz, presented the Board with the recommended 5-year contract for landscape services across all twelve District 25 facilities, totaling $251,008 and fully budgeted within the Operations and Maintenance budget.

To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.

To view this in Diligent Community, including any documents associated with this item, click here and scroll to this section of the agenda.

To watch the Board discuss and vote on this item, click here.

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MOTIONS: APPROVED

C. Summer Capital Projects

• That the Board of Education award BP1 General Trades in the amount of $1,717,500 to D Kersey and further to immediately assign the awarded contractor agreements to Nicholas & Associates, Inc., as Construction Manager; and further to reject Alternates #1 through #4 and accept Alternates #5 through #7

• That the Board of Education award BP2 HVAC in the amount of $1,013,000 to FE Moran and further to immediately assign the awarded contractor agreements to Nicholas & Associates, Inc., as Construction Manager; and further to reject Alternates #1 through #4 and accept Alternates #5 through #7.

• That the Board of Education award BP3 Electrical in the amount of $2,001,000 to Prospect Electric and further to immediately assign the awarded contractor agreements to Nicholas & Associates, Inc., as Construction Manager; and further to reject Alternates #1 through #4 and accept Alternates #5 through #7.

These bid packages encompass a variety of project scopes for the 2026 Capital Projects program:

• Thomas Middle School: 1st floor ceiling, lighting, and corridor flooring replacements, including fire alarm and emergency lighting upgrades.
• Windsor Elementary School: 1st and 2nd floor ceiling and lighting replacements with associated HVAC modifications and HLS upgrades.
• Miner School: 2nd floor HVAC replacement with central air conditioning, interior renovations, selective exterior improvements, and HLS upgrades.
• Portfolio-Wide Health & Life Safety: Fire alarm and emergency lighting upgrades at Greenbrier, Ivy Hill, Olive-Mary Stitt, Patton, and South Middle School.

Total project award: $4,731,500, within the established 2026 capital budget.

To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.

To view this in Diligent Community, including any documents associated with this item, click here and scroll to this section of the agenda.

To watch the Board discuss and vote on these items, click here.

A. Multilingual Learners Program Update

Multilingual & Equity Program Coordinator, Shab Poloz, presented the Board with an overview of the district’s multilingual learner supports. The presentation highlighted targeted English language instruction, collaboration between multilingual specialists and classroom teachers, and strategies to ensure access to grade-level content. Student outcomes, including language proficiency growth and academic performance, are regularly monitored to evaluate program effectiveness, maintain compliance, and guide continuous improvement.

For a PDF of the presentation, click here.

To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.

To view this in Diligent Community, including any documents associated with this item, click here and scroll to this section of the agenda.

To watch the Board discuss this item, click here.

A. Superintendent Update

Superintendent Dr. Brian Kaye noted the following:

• The Board of Education received the Strategic Plan Refresh survey, asking for feedback on the Portrait of a Learner, Mission, Vision & Core Values, and Goal Areas & Strategies. The survey has also been distributed to building leadership teams, cabinet members, PTA presidents, principals, and the ABC25 Foundation. Dr. Kaye will follow up with any Board members unable to attend to ensure their input is included.

To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.

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B. Freedom of Information Act Report

• Michael Rost, Founder/CEO of Allium Data, requested information on insurance policies; a response was provided on February 16, 2026.
• Oshea Smith requested information on vendor contracts; a response was provided on February 16, 2026.
• Brenda Abrego, Administrative Associate of Milieu Design LLC, requested information on bid tabulations for grass cutting; a response was provided on February 17, 2026.
• Michelle Connolly requested information on her employment; a response was provided on February 19, 2026.
• Michelle Connolly requested information on her employment; a response was provided on February 23, 2026.
• Max Binnington of Judiciocracy requested attorney invoices and agreements; a response was provided on March 3, 2026.
• Sheri Reid, Data Acquisition Specialist of SmartProcure, requested information on district account numbers; a response was provided on March 5, 2026.

To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.

To view this in Diligent Community, including any documents associated with this item, click here and scroll to this section of the agenda.

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C. Set Date for Board Organization Meeting

Superintendent, Dr. Brian Kaye, presented the Board with a recommendation to hold the Organization meeting as part of the April 21, 2026 Regular Board meeting. At this meeting, officers for one-year terms will be elected, and the 2026–2027 Board meeting schedule will be set.

To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.

To view this in Diligent Community, including any documents associated with this item, click here and scroll to this section of the agenda.

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D. Student Voice

This was a discussion amongst the Board, lead by Dr. Brian Kaye, about bringing student voice to the Board during meetings. This was also discussed at the January and February 2026 Board of Education meetings.

To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.

To view this in Diligent Community, including any documents associated with this item, click here and scroll to this section of the agenda.

The District 25 Board of Education often offers a second opportunity for public comment at each Board Meeting that takes place once all the agenda items have been presented, discussed, or voted on.

*No community members chose to address the Board during this public comment at this meeting.*

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FUTURE TOPICS & TOPICS WITH DATES TO BE DETERMINED

• There are no future topics with dates to be determined.

NEW TOPICS

• There were no new topics in this meeting.

To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.

To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.

TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2026 @ 6:15 PM

*The meeting will begin at 6:15 p.m. at which time the Board will move into Closed Session until approximately 7:00 p.m. Following Closed session, the Regular Open meeting will begin.*

This meeting will be held at South Middle School and broadcast live and recorded. The link for the livestream can be found on the Board Agenda page (www.sd25.org/BoardAgenda) the week of the meeting.

Public Comments

Anyone who wishes to make a public comment can do so, in-person, at our Board of Education meetings. The Board hosts two public comment opportunities on their agenda: 1) at the beginning of the meeting, prior to any agenda items, 2) at the end of the meeting after the agenda items have been discussed/presented.

Meeting Recordings

A video of the meeting will be recorded and uploaded to our site on the 'Board Agenda' page and on our 'Catch up on Meetings' page.