Vasiliki Vourvahis Frake

This document outlines Woodland District 50's e-learning day plan, designed to ensure instructional continuity and safety during school closures, primarily due to inclement weather. The plan details communication strategies for all stakeholders, attendance requirements, and specific guidelines for teaching and learning, including synchronous and asynchronous instruction. It addresses support for multilingual and special education students, ongoing professional development for staff, and clear expectations for students, staff, and parents regarding participation and technology utilization. The plan was developed and updated with input from diverse stakeholders to provide an effective and accessible learning environment.

The meeting commenced with a closed session to discuss personnel matters including appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees, selection of persons to fill public office, collective negotiating matters, self-evaluation practices, and the review of lawfully closed meeting minutes. Following the closed session, the Board moved to open session. Key discussions centered on the Superintendent's report regarding the Illinois School Report Card, noting that all district schools achieved a 'Commendable' rating, indicating performance in the top 90% statewide. Major focus areas for improvement included chronic absenteeism, which remains high despite recent downward trends, and staff retention rates. Regarding chronic absenteeism, the Superintendent detailed the negative implications for student learning and connection, noting plans to utilize Family Coordinators to address connectivity issues, including transportation barriers impacting student attendance. Strategies for improvement included investigating embedding co-teaching in the district to support special needs students and exploring expansion of the early childhood program to a full-day format to establish a better foundation for young learners. Staff retention was discussed in terms of maintaining consistency in curriculum implementation and the need to allocate more financial resources for compensation and benefits. Finally, student demographics showed an increase in students requiring specialized resources due to increases in special needs identification, English as a non-first language, and socioeconomic challenges, despite an overall decrease in district enrollment.

The meeting included discussions and presentations related to the dual language immersion framework for the years 2025 to 2030. The presentation covered the research, structure, and outcomes of the programs, as well as the development of the framework and its alignment with state and federal policies. The board also reviewed data on access scores and discussed student performance levels, emphasizing a holistic approach to assessment.

The meeting included discussions and presentations on various topics. A demographic study was presented, including population and enrollment trends, age structure analysis, and factors affecting enrollment forecasts. The board also discussed the possibility of offering a universal preschool program, including the benefits of bringing students and families under the district umbrella earlier.

The meeting included a public hearing for the fiscal year 26 budget, where revenues were reported to increase by $2.3 million, primarily in the education fund, driven by tax dollars and evidence-based funding. Expenditures also saw an increase in the education fund due to salaries, benefits, and medical insurance costs. The board discussed the impact of charter school funding, noting a decrease in state revenue due to funds allocated to Prairie Crossing Charter School. Capital projects were reduced, and discussions covered playground resurfacing, asphalt replacement, controller replacements for HVAC systems, and door replacements.