The River Trails School District 26 Board of Education held a meeting on Tuesday, February 21, 2023, at River Trails Middle School. It was also livestreamed on our website. A full recording of the meeting is available for viewing on our YouTube page.
Here are the highlights:
- The Board approved a calendar for the 2023-2024 school year.
- The Board approved an agreement with the Village of Mount Prospect regarding the construction of a mini soccer pitch at Euclid Elementary School. This will be funded by a federal grant and private donations. The mini pitch was discussed in more detail at the Board’s October 2022 meeting.
- Dr. Jodi Megerle, superintendent of schools, noted several open positions that the district is looking to fill. These include substitutes, teacher assistants, lunch/playground monitors and several summer positions. Interested candidates can learn more or apply at applitrack.com/rtsd26/onlineapp/default.aspx.
- Board Vice President Janine Freedlund congratulated staff members who have indicated their plans to retire. “We’re both excited and sad,” she said. Later in the meeting, Ms. Freedlund discussed the recent Euclid Fun Fair and said, “It was great to see smiling, happy faces.”
- Bob Kastner, president of the River Trails Education Association, spoke on behalf of the union and thanked the Board and administration for a “wonderful, ongoing working relationship.” He specifically thanked Dr. Megerle, saying, “she’s quite a pleasure to work with.”
- The Board recognized four staff members – Melissa Cascella, Denise Cutler, Jean Holan and Chris McLaughlin – who have acted as mentors for the district’s education support professionals (ESPs). During the presentation, Assistant Superintendent Kristy Seifert called them “superheroes” and said, “You name it, these ladies have made it happen for their staffs.”
- Mrs. Seifert updated the Board on the elementary schools’ math pilot. As part of the process of reviewing the pilot, a team of teachers from all grade levels will meet to discuss the data gleaned from it. At a future meeting, they will recommend the next steps.
- The Board approved a contract with Grand Prairie Transit, the district’s bus company, for the 2023-2024 school year. This followed a lengthy discussion about the cost of working with Grand Prairie. The Board signaled its desire to discuss other potential transportation options beyond the next school year. This will be discussed further at future meetings.
- Dr. Lyndl Schuster, assistant superintendent for business services, updated the board on staffing plans for the 2023-2024 school year.
- The Board approved a bid from RB Construction for the upcoming roof replacement at Euclid. The work will commence in the summer and is part of the district’s ongoing infrastructure project. You can find more information about the project on our website.
- The Board approved a partnership with multiple districts regarding the application for the Department of Energy’s Smart Grid Grant program. According to the DOE provides grants to “increase the flexibility, efficiency and reliability of the electric power system.”
- The Board announced the first reading of a proposed new policy on video surveillance. The proposed policy will be posted on the district website and officially approved at a future meeting.
The next regular board meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 21, at River Trails Middle School. You can email the board at boe@rtsd26.org.