LeeAnn Betz

This document details the 'Family and Community Empowerment' pillar, which is the final component of the Naperville 203 Comprehensive Equity Plan. Its purpose is to foster effective partnerships with families and community advocates, ensuring meaningful and inclusive engagement to support student learning and success. The plan outlines strategies such as transparent stakeholder dialogue, school-based family groups, expanded programming, resource translation, and interactive forums. The ultimate goal is to achieve educational equity by making policies and resources representative and responsive to all individuals, ensuring access and positive outcomes from high-quality learning experiences.

The board discussed a variety of operational and strategic topics, including the annual audit report, a five-year financial forecast addressing a structural budget imbalance, and the 2025 tax levy determination. Financial and administrative reports were reviewed, including treasury, investment, and insurance updates. The board debated 2026 summer school fees and program structures, ultimately voting to table the item for further information. Additionally, the board approved the design for a new transportation facility, discussed school calendar planning for the 2027-2028 academic year, and reviewed a personnel report.

The Board of Education convened for a special meeting to conduct a closed session discussion regarding self-evaluation practices, procedures, and professional ethics with a representative of a statewide association. No other formal business or public comments were addressed before the meeting was adjourned.

This document outlines Naperville Community Unit School District 203's current status, commitments, and priority areas for Diversity and Inclusion. It aims to foster a passion for lifelong learning within all students by addressing student achievement gaps and demographic changes. The strategic priorities include examining systemic inequities, implementing district-wide implicit bias training, conducting a comprehensive curriculum review, and evaluating recruitment and hiring practices to ensure an inclusive and equitable educational environment.

The meeting commenced with a closed session to discuss employee appointments, real property purchases, and collective negotiating matters. Following the return to open session, key discussions included recognizing student achievements such as MLK Day celebrations and AP School Honor Roll distinctions, and announcing the shift to balance enrollment in the Dual Language program with a new Southside site launch. The Board took action by consent to approve the Personnel Report, which included various appointments, leaves of absence, and resignations. A significant portion of the meeting focused on financial matters, specifically addressing the projected $12.5 million budget deficit driven by an updated Five-Year Financial Forecast incorporating a lower CPI figure. The administration outlined strategies involving expenditure reductions (e.g., discretionary spending, staffing consolidation) and revenue advocacy, with Board members prioritizing cuts to administrative and material expenses over student-facing educators. Further discussions covered reviewing general and optional fee structures, potential tuition increases for ARECC, and updates on high school course fees. The Board also established a pilot program limiting each member to three minutes for comments/questions per agenda item to improve meeting efficiency. Finally, the Board approved the PRESS Policy 120 Updates and reviewed the draft School Year 2028 Calendar, noting parameters related to semester balance and final exam timing.