jan 20 | bOARDBuzz
regular board meeting
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.
As always, the bOARDBuzz is archived at www.sd25.org/BoardBuzz.
1. CONVENE INTO CLOSED SESSION
5:15 PM
2. CLOSED SESSION
3. RECONVENE PUBLIC MEETING
7:00 PM
4. RECOGNITIONS AND PRESENTATIONS
A. Middle School Jazz Band ILMEA District 7 Honor Festival Participants
The Board of Education recognized and celebrated the South & Thomas Middle School Jazz Band Members who participated in the ILMEA District 7 Honor Festival:
Thomas Middle School
Concert Band
Anderson Christiansen-Fisher - Tenor Sax | Caleb Nelson - Trumpet
Audrey Panico - Trumpet | Harshan Rajkumar Anusha - Tuba
Jazz Band
Io Shigefuji - Piano
South Middle School
Concert Band
Addison Daley, Trombone
The Board also honored and celebrated Band Directors, Dana Berry and Candi Horton from Thomas; and Carolyn Schneider from South
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C. South 8th Grade Girls Basketball Team
The Board of Education recognized and celebrated South Middle School Girls 8th Grade Basketball Team who placed 3rd in the State Tournament:
Marley Camardella | Kate Fischer | Maddie Fourman | Georgia Hill
Gia Humann | Mila Kacprzynska | Ioanna Kalergis | Mia Riggi | Madelyn Searle
Anissa Stanley | Kailen Stevens | Mallory Tosch | Lucy Black
The Board also honored and celebrated their coaches Dan Burdi and Katelyn Sparlin.
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B. Thomas Middle School Students | All-Illinois Junior Band
The Board of Education recognized and celebrated the Thomas Middle School students who
Qualified for the 2026 All-Illinois Junior Band:
Momoko Suzuki - Clarinet | Caleb Nelson - Trumpet
Harshan Rajkumar Anusha - Tuba,First Chair
The Board also honored and celebrated their Band Director, Ms. Candace Horton.
To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.
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D. 2024-2025 Financial Audit
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5. COMMUNICATIONS FROM DISTRICT PARTNERS
- AHC PTA
- AHC PTA President Erin Lakomski submitted an update that member Melissa Buchberger read aloud.
- ABC25 Foundation
- ABC25 Foundation Representative Gina Faso submitted an update that Dr. Brian Kaye read aloud.
- ATA (Arlington Teachers Association)
- ATA President Allison Berg reported.
To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.
6. COMMUNITY INPUT
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.
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Please remember that the Board can be reached outside of Board Meeting hours by emailing boardfeedback@sd25.org.
7. BOARD COMMUNICATIONS
- 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 | Elizabeth Nierman reporting
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8. CONSENT AGENDA
action item
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) Invoices; (C) Regular and Closed Session Meeting Minutes of December 16, 2025; (D) Board bills.
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.
9. STUDENT LEARNING
No items were presented by the Department of Student Learning.
10. STUDENT SERVICES
No items were presented by the Department of Student Services.
11. BUSINESS AND FINANCE
action item
MOTION: APPROVED
A. 2026 ISBE School Maintenance Project Grant
That the Board of Education approve the 2026 School Maintenance Grant as presented.
Assistant Superintendent of Business/CSBO, Stacey Mallek, presented on this annual grant from the State of Illinois that requires Board approval.
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12. FACILITIES MANAGEMENT
action Items
MOTION: APPROVED
A. Ten-Year Life Safety Survey
That the Board of Education approve District 25's Ten-Year Life Safety Survey and authorize its submission to the Illinois State Board of Education.
Director of Facilities, Ryan Schulz, presented this item. Illinois law requires public school districts to complete and submit a Ten-Year Life Safety Survey identifying code-required deficiencies related to fire protection, egress, structural safety, accessibility, and other regulated life safety systems. This survey is a regulatory compliance document, not a facility condition assessment.
For a PDF of this presentation, click here.
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MOTION: APPROVED
B. 2026 Capital Projects
That the Board of Education approve the 2026 Capital Projects as presented and authorize administration to engage design and pre-construction services.
Presented by the District 25 Director of Facilities, Ryan Schulz, the 2026 capital plan continues the district’s long-term facilities improvement cycle, prioritizing critical HVAC, electrical, plumbing, flooring, and renovation needs across multiple schools. The plan also includes district-wide maintenance to ensure safe, reliable, and well-maintained buildings, while pursuing grants and utility incentives when available.
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13. PERSONNEL & PLANNING
information item
A. INSIGHTex Staff Satisfaction and Engagement
Assistant Superintendent of Personnel & Planning, Kendra Perri, presented the results of the INSIGHTeX survey given to staff at the beginning of the year. The purpose of the survey is to put data descriptions into District 25' beliefs about the District's work culture. Staff provided input into all aspects of their work environment, and staff are the ones who collaboratively determine action steps to continuously improve their work environment.
For a PDF of the presentation, click here.
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action item
MOTION: APPROVED
A. Resolution for Dismissal
That the Board of Education approve the Resolution Dismissal of Substitute Teacher Michelle Connolly as presented.
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To watch the Board discuss and vote on this item, click here.
14. SUPERINTENDENT REPORT
information items
A. Superintendent Update
Superintendent Dr. Brian Kaye noted the following:
- MLK Remembrance Dinner: Thank you to Board of Education members who joined district leadership at the MLK Remembrance Dinner. The event highlighted the strength of our community’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and the collective efforts underway to support those values.
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ABC 25 Foundation: Thank you to the ABC 25 Foundation for hosting the Box Out Bullying event. The district will engage in discussions about the potential to expand this program district-wide in the future.
Strategic Plan Refresh: The Strategic Plan Refresh team is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, January 27, for an opening board meeting. Thank you to Lana and the Tech25 team for their preparation and support of the retreat process. A recommendation for a refreshed plan is expected in March.
To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.
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B. Freedom of Information Act Report
Chris Placek, Daily Herald reporter, requested information on an employee separation agreement; a response was provided on December 15, 2025.
Michelle Connolly requested communication regarding her employment; a response was provided on December 15, 2025.
Max Binnington of Stop Secrecy requested information regarding Title IX and sexual misconduct; a response was provided on December 19, 2025.
Max Binnington of Judiciocracy requested information on Title IX documents and communications; a response was provided on January 5, 2026.
Amy Vichich and Oshea Smith requested information on purchase orders; a response was provided on January 5, 2026.
Owen Wang of North Cook News requested information on full-time aide contracts or collective bargaining agreements; a response was provided on January 5, 2026.
Alberto Barraza requested information on paint orders; a response was provided on January 5, 2026.
Stephanie Schreiner of American Transparency requested information on communication and funding with Qatar Foundation; a response was provided on January 8, 2026.
Michelle Connolly requested communication regarding her employment; a response was provided on January 8, 2026.
Michael "W" Ayele requested information on consent education and Title IX; a response was provided on January 15, 2026.
Chris Miller of Public Info Access LLC requested information on purchasing and contract approval policy thresholds; a response was provided on January 16, 2026.
Kimia Hamidi of The Data Branch Research Team requested vendor contract data; a response was provided on January 16, 2026.
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C. Student Voice
This was a discussion amongst the Board, lead by Dr. Brian Kaye, about the possibility of bringing student voices to the Board during meetings.
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D. First Reading of Policies | PRESS 120
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F. Resolution Calling on the Cook County Treasurer and Other Cook County officials Responsible for the Issuance of Property Tax Bills to Resolve Systemic Issues
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G. Resolution Prohibiting the use of School District Property for Civil Immigration Enforcement Staging Areas, Processing Locations, or Operations Bases
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action item
MOTION: APPROVED
E. Resolution Authorizing Transfer of Engagement/Appointment of Legal Counsel
That the Board of Education approve the "Resolution Authorizing Transfer of Engagement/Appointment of Legal Counsel"
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To watch the Board discuss and vote on this item, click here.
15. PUBLIC COMMENT PORTION
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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16. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
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.
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17. CLOSED SESSION CONTINUES
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18. ADJOURN
UPCOMING BOARD EVENTS
Regular Meeting of the Board
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 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 the Dunton Administration Building (1200 S. Dunton Ave.) 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.