Batavia Illinois – The 5th Ward

Opening, Agenda, and Recognitions

The meeting began with a call to order by the Board Vice President, followed by roll call and the Pledge of Allegiance. The Superintendent amended the agenda to add a new hire, correct a donation recipient, and add a second closed session to discuss student board member applicants. The board then honored the district’s School Resource Officer (SRO), who is departing after five years of dedicated service, and introduced the incoming SRO. Following this, the board recognized the outgoing Student Ambassadors. One of the Student Ambassadors provided an update on high school sports, prom, graduation preparations, clubs, music programs, and middle school activities.

• The board added a second closed session to discuss the 14 applications received for the new student board member program.
• The departing SRO was praised for her steady leadership, ability to build positive relationships post-COVID, and commitment to the safety of 5,100 students.
• The incoming SRO has been with the local police department for eight years and is shadowing the departing officer to learn the role.
• The present Student Ambassador reported on various student milestones, including upcoming AP and ACT testing, the spring play, and a middle school track record.

Staff Union Report

The Union Representative provided an update on behalf of the local education association. The representative expressed gratitude to the departing SRO for her calming presence during a recent incident at the high school. The focus of the report then shifted to recognizing excellence in teaching and advocating for long-term educator support.

• Two district educators were nominated for the county Educator of the Year award.
• The representative noted that the school library serves as the “heart and soul” of the building, encouraging imagination and critical thinking.
• The board was reminded that Teacher Appreciation Week runs from May 4th through 8th.
• The representative challenged the board to turn appreciation into action by ensuring year-round support and removing barriers for educators.

Public Comment

Seven individuals addressed the board during the public comment period. The comments heavily focused on three distinct areas of concern: the dismissal of a specific employee, the elimination of elementary interventionist positions, and the lack of a formalized policy restricting screen time and digital device usage for young students.

• A Kindergarten Enrichment Instructor spoke regarding her honorable dismissal, requesting consideration for an open full-time kindergarten position based on her experience, evaluations, and provisional licensure.
• Two interventionists and a parent spoke against the decision to cut five of the six elementary interventionist roles.
• Speakers argued that eliminating interventionists removes vital math and reading support for at-risk “bubble students” (Tiers 2 and 3) and shifts an unmanageable burden to reading specialists.
• A speech pathologist asked the board to adopt an evidence-based screen time reduction policy, citing research that associates excessive screen time with expressive speech delays and problem-solving issues in young children.
• Two parents urged the district to remove YouTube access from early elementary devices, pointing out that first graders cannot safely navigate the platform and have encountered inappropriate content during before-school care and instructional time.

Consent Agenda

A District Administrator led the board through the consent agenda, which grouped routine recurring items together for efficiency. The items were approved unanimously after a brief period of questioning regarding software contracts.

• Approved items included meeting minutes, payroll and bills, a personnel report, and donations from a corporate sponsor.
• The board authorized a food service contract renewal, a copy paper bid, IHSA renewals, and the disposal of surplus technology.
• The district’s Google Workspace for Education contract saw a permanent cost increase due to a new student licensing model.
• The district saved approximately $15,000 in software renewals by eliminating the ELA portion of the IXL program.

Reports (FOIA, Treasurer, and Committees)

The Superintendent and District Treasurer provided routine updates to the board. A board member also shared insights from a recent committee meeting regarding the district’s food services.

• The Superintendent confirmed that a heavier volume of FOIA requests had been received but all were fulfilled in a timely manner according to the law.
• The District Treasurer stated there was nothing out of the ordinary in the monthly financial reports.
• A board member shared that the committee participated in a taste test comparing the current food offerings with the National School Lunch Program, noting little difference between the options.

FY27 Staffing Plan

A District Administrator presented the preliminary staffing plan for the upcoming fiscal year, highlighting reductions designed to align with declining student enrollment and fiscal realities. The Chief Academic Officer contributed to the discussion by clarifying the philosophical shift behind the staffing changes.

• The district is enacting staffing reductions mostly driven by a history of declining enrollment since 2020.
• The transition to full-day kindergarten requires the elimination of 8.5 part-time, non-licensed positions, which will be offset by utilizing existing licensed teachers for the new full-day sections.
• Interventionist staffing was reduced based on a detailed review of student data and an objective to place resources where the most severe academic needs exist.
• The district plans to absorb interventionist duties by evaluating and reassigning the caseloads of current reading specialists and special education staff.
• Reductions were primarily achieved through retirements, honorable dismissals, and voluntary transfers, avoiding the large-scale layoffs seen in neighboring districts.

FY27 Preliminary Budget

The District Treasurer provided a highly detailed forecast of the district’s preliminary budget, presenting a sobering look at the long-term financial health of the district. While the district currently maintains a structural operating surplus, heavy capital expenditures are widening the overall deficit, forcing the district to spend down its financial reserves.

• Revenues are projected to increase by $2.2 million, but the district still faces a net deficit of $5 million because it is actively spending down reserves to fund one-time capital projects.
• Projections indicate that by the year 2030, the district’s fund balances will hit policy minimums, effectively forcing the district to live “paycheck to paycheck”.
• If reserves fall below the minimum threshold, the district will be forced to utilize tax anticipation warrants, a system of borrowing money with interest to pay regular bills while waiting for local tax revenues to arrive.
• The largest driver of operational costs is employee salaries and benefits, with health insurance premiums specifically posing a severe risk; the district is forecasting a massive 15% to 25% premium increase for FY27.
• State and Federal funding remains stagnant and “imperceptible” in its growth compared to local funding.
• As a “Tier 4” school district, the state considers the district to have 106% adequate funding based on local property wealth, meaning no new state money will be provided, placing the fiscal burden almost entirely on local property taxpayers.
• The district faces an unprecedented 20% escalation in construction costs, severely complicating efforts to fund $50 million in required “Warm, Safe, Dry” capital work (such as replacing 70-year-old failing galvanized pipes and obsolete fire systems).

Health Life Safety Survey Amendment

A Facilities Administrator guided the board through an action item related to funding urgent facility repairs. The board was asked to amend the 10-year Health Life Safety (HLS) survey, an administrative step necessary to preserve funding options for future construction.

• The board voted to amend the HLS survey to submit roughly $11 million in required projects (including obsolete fire alarms and failing 1990s HVAC univents) to the state for approval.
• Approving the amendment does not automatically issue bonds or raise taxes; it solely establishes the district’s eligibility to use HLS bonds in the future.
• If the state approves the survey, the board will have four to six months to decide whether to issue the bonds to fund work for the summer of 2027.
• The board was advised that alternative funding strategies, such as an eventual taxpayer referendum, would require substantial community engagement and consulting work if pursued instead.

Action Items

The board moved through several disparate action items covering human resources, district policy, real estate, community partnerships, and curriculum.

• The board approved the issuance of a notice to remedy to a specific employee following a closed personnel session.
• A board policy regarding homeschool students and part-time attendance for special education students was amended after consultation with the board’s attorney.
• The board authorized a plat of dedication to legally transfer a small piece of property near a road curve back to the local city government.
• An updated services agreement was approved to expand the local Boys and Girls Club before- and after-school care programs into two additional elementary schools.
• Following a comprehensive review to align with the Illinois Comprehensive Literacy Plan, a new high school English curriculum was approved to be placed on public display for 30 days.
• The board approved the routine purchase of high school percussion equipment and finalized the schedule for the 2026-2027 board meetings.

Board Comments and Closed Sessions

To conclude the meeting, the Superintendent and various board members offered closing thoughts. The meeting was ultimately adjourned into a second closed session to discuss matters related to specific students.

• The Superintendent praised district educators ahead of Teacher Appreciation Week and wished students luck on imminent AP and ACT exams.
• Multiple board members expressed extreme excitement over the 14 applications received for the student board member program, noting the emotional maturity and high quality of the student submissions.
• Board members thanked the community for their high engagement at recent district events, including a student business incubator pitch, a music trivia fundraiser, and a fine arts festival.
• A board member thanked volunteers for their efforts in organizing safe post-prom events for the students.
• The board entered a final closed session to discuss matters related to individual students, with no action to be taken afterward.