Batavia Illinois – The 5th Ward

Public Hearing on Physical Education (PE) Modification Waiver

The district’s transition to full-day kindergarten created significant scheduling constraints, requiring the board to seek a five-year waiver from the Illinois State Board of Education to bypass the state’s three-day-a-week physical education mandate.

• A District Administrator explained that accommodating required instructional minutes for core curriculum tools—like Inquiry Journeys, Eureka, and Mystery Science—forced a four-day specials rotation, making three-day PE compliance impossible.
• A Community Member presented a petition with nearly 500 signatures, arguing the kindergarten rollout was rushed and sacrificed necessary physical movement for young students.
• Another Community Member noted that state law requires PE three days out of a five-day week, pointing out that the proposed schedule delivers only 45 days for grades 3-5, leaving them one-third below the state minimum.
• A Community Member referenced data from the American College of Sports Medicine and the CDC, emphasizing that physical activity expands executive function, improves classroom behavior, and drives academic performance.
• An Elementary Student from Alice Gustafson testified that PE teaches perseverance and reduces academic stress, arguing that students are not meant to sit in a chair all day.
• A Community Member expressed alarm that high school scheduling gaps will result in students going up to 382 days without a PE class, contrary to state laws requiring a sequential curriculum.
• A Community Member criticized the administration’s transparency, stating families had to discover the schedule reduction via the Daily Herald and Facebook posts rather than direct district communication.
• A Student Board Member noted the topic was discussed at a Batavia Interschool Council (BIC) meeting, urging the board to pass the waiver to preserve other vital specials like art, library, and music.
• The board officially passed a motion to approve the submittal of the modification waiver.

Celebrations and Recognitions

The board paused to recognize a top administrator’s statewide contributions and the ongoing operational support provided by regional educational partners.

• Representatives from the Illinois Association of School Business Officials (IASBO) and West Aurora presented a $1,000 check to the Batavia Foundation for Educational Excellence honoring the Deputy Superintendent’s service on their board of directors.
• Members of the Kane County Regional Office of Education (ROE) highlighted their ongoing partnership, which includes running a Pearson testing center, conducting fingerprinting, and performing health-life safety inspections across 161 public schools.
• The ROE representatives commended Batavia Public School District 101 for leading the state in piloting the COSEN AI project and contributing to a statewide CASEL social-emotional learning academy.

Public Comments (Regular Meeting)

Following the hearing, residents utilized the general public comment period to press the board on restrictive technology policies, screen time usage, and curricular impacts on enrichment programs.

• An Educator from District 99 praised the district’s new YouTube restrictions but urged the adoption of a strict “bell to bell, no cell” policy, citing immense success at Downers Grove South.
• A Community Member noted that Rotolo Middle School strictly enforces locker phone storage, while high school students enjoy up to 50 minutes of unmonitored screen time per class, recommending Lightspeed Classroom management software for better enforcement.
• A representative of Distraction Free Batavia thanked the board for recent technology limits in elementary schools but warned that over-reliance on screens diminishes the resilience built by physical education.
• Another Community Member pointed out that rigorous English curriculum demands are actively eliminating a highly valued, parent-led art program at HC Storm.

Consent Agenda

The board utilized a consent agenda to efficiently approve standard financial, personnel, and administrative duties without individual debate.

• The board approved minutes, payroll, bills, and the destruction of closed session recordings from February 2025.
• The board authorized the development of the fiscal year 2028 budget.
• Donations were formally accepted from Michael Steele, Art Lau Systems, Hillman’s Roofing, the Chicago Bears, the Batavia Wrestling Club, and the HC Storm PTO.

Construction Updates

The Facilities Director provided a detailed status update on the multi-campus “Warm, Safe and Dry” initiative to ensure operational readiness and facility integrity.

• Major flooring replacements, including luxury vinyl tile (LVT), carpet, and stair treads, are 100% complete at JB Nelson and Alice Gustafson.
• At Louise White, extensive work included three new rooftop HVAC units, a secure entrance sequence, new exterior doors, and a new roof.
• Punch list work at Louise White includes fixing landscape ruts caused by roof cranes and installing skylights and solar light tubes over the October 12 holiday weekend.
• At HC Storm, crews completed a new exterior parking lot, playground, and access layout, with punch list items remaining for a dumpster enclosure and the south exit asphalt apron on Van Nortwyk.
• The projects were completed alongside partners including LAMP, DLR Architects, and Fox Excavating.

2027 Insurance Plan Renewal

Facing a projected $800,000 deficit in its self-funded medical plan, the board had to override a contractual cap to restructure employee benefits and premiums.

• A District Administrator presented a proposal crafted by a committee representing the BEA, BEST, and SPOT unions.
• The board approved a 15% rate adjustment, deliberately waiving a contractual 5% cap to avoid drastic measures like a $400 monthly surcharge on working spouses and heavily slashed Health Savings Account (HSA) contributions.
• Plan changes include implementing Stella Health Navigation, adding a 10% coinsurance model to the high-deductible plan, and slightly reducing HSA contributions to $1,500 for single coverage and $3,000 for family coverage.

Warm, Safe and Dry / Health Life Safety Bonds

With capital needs exceeding $70 million following two failed referendums, the board debated leveraging specialized bonds to fund urgent, non-discretionary infrastructure repairs.

• The Deputy Superintendent noted that while the district is currently debt-free, it is rapidly spending down its cash reserves, which are projected to drop from a 36.5% fund balance-to-revenue ratio down to 29% by 2030—nearing the 25% minimum target.
• Failing unit ventilators and obsolete fire alarm systems qualify for approximately $10.5 million in Health Life Safety (HLS) bonds, which would directly increase property taxes.
• Specific urgent projects include Batavia High School’s C-wing, where 30-year-old unit ventilators break daily, and JB Nelson, where 70-year-old original galvanized pipes situated in underground tunnels are actively corroding and leaking.
• The Resource Responsibility Advisory Council (RAC) formally recommended the board consider issuing these bonds to protect the district’s operating funds.
• The board agreed to review detailed financing proposals and tax-impact models from PTMA in October before scheduling a mandatory public bond hearing in November or December.

Student Board Member Updates

The newly seated student representatives outlined their strategy for capturing and analyzing peer feedback to better inform future board decisions.

• The Student Board Members announced the deployment of QR-code feedback forms designed to be more engaging than standard district surveys, posing questions about desired school changes and support.
• They noted ongoing collaboration with principals to adapt these data-gathering tools for younger elementary and middle school students who do not have access to smartphones or email.

Entities Mentioned

Type	Name
Educational Institutions	Batavia Public School District 101, Alice Gustafson, Batavia High School, Rotolo Middle School, District 99, Downers Grove South, HC Storm, JB Nelson, Louise White, West Aurora, Chicago Public Schools
Government & Regulatory Entities	Illinois State Board of Education, Kane County Regional Office of Education, General Assembly, House Democratic Caucus, CDC
Private Companies & Contractors	Daily Herald, Inquiry Journeys, Eureka, Mystery Science, Pearson, Lightspeed, Art Lau Systems, Hillman’s Roofing, LAMP, DLR Architects, Fox Excavating, Stella Health Navigation, PTMA, YouTube
Community Organizations, Unions, & Associations	American College of Sports Medicine, Illinois Association of School Business Officials (IASBO), Batavia Foundation for Educational Excellence, COSEN, CASEL, Batavia Interschool Council (BIC), Distraction Free Batavia, Chicago Bears, Batavia Wrestling Club, HC Storm PTO, Batavia Education Association (BEA), BEST, SPOT, Resource Responsibility Advisory Council (RAC)

Special Meeting Agenda: https://bps-101.community.diligentoneplatform.com/Portal/MeetingInformation.aspx?Id=406

Regular Meeting Agenda: https://bps-101.community.diligentoneplatform.com/Portal/MeetingInformation.aspx?Org=Cal&Id=388

Author: Jim Fahrenbach