The River Trails School District 26 Board of Education held a meeting on Tuesday, February 15, 2022. It was also livestreamed on our website with a short outage due to technical issues.
Here are the highlights:
- The Board discussed and approved three significant changes to the district’s COVID-19 mitigation plan. Beginning Monday, February 28, all four schools will shift to a mask-optional environment. Additionally, beginning Tuesday, February 22, close contacts will no longer need to quarantine and unvaccinated staff will not be required to test on a weekly basis. More details about the district’s mitigation plan was communicated to RTSD26 families in a letter from Dr. Wagner.
- This decision by the Board followed several comments from visitors on the issue, as well as a presentation and recommendation from Dr. Jodi Megerle, assistant superintendent for student services.
- Dr. Lyndl Schuster, assistant superintendent for business services, recognized the district’s kitchen staff and lunch/playground supervisors. She said, “above all, they keep our students safe and we couldn’t be more grateful.”
- Dr. Schuster spoke about the Illinois Clean Energy Foundation grant. The Foundation awarded the district with a $600,000 check for the ongoing net-zero energy efforts at Prairie Trails School.
- BWP & Associates, a search firm selected by the Board to assist in the superintendent search, presented a timeline for the process. The Board approved the timeline that aims to name a new superintendent by the end of April.
- River Trails Education Association representative Bob Kastner addressed the Board and thanked them for their service to the community. He also talked about Covid mitigations and expressed an openness to multiple outcomes as long as there is an emphasis on “safety and consistency.”
- Dr. Schuster presented a 2022-23 staffing plan to the Board, which they approved. She also recommended the purchase and installation of security camera infrastructure at River Trails Middle School and Prairie Trails School. The Board approved this, as well.
- Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning Kristine Seifert updated the Board on the district’s 2022 summer school plan. The program includes a four-week summer school in June and the return of Camp Raven in June and July.
The next regular board meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 15 at River Trails Middle School. You can email the board at boe@rtsd26.org.