Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance

We have come to the item on the agenda for Public Comment. Public comments are limited to three (3) minutes per person. At this time, the Board President will call on those who have requested to make Public Comments. Please understand that the Board will not respond to comments made during Public Comment but may direct the Superintendent to address the matter at a later time. 

Mr. Geraci will present the Agenda items.

Approval of Board Meeting Minutes

 The School Board Financial Report provides an overview of the district’s current financial status, including revenues, expenditures, and fund balances.

The Secretary read the Treasurer's Report (Cash Balance for each fund) as of May 31, 2026: 

The administrator’s report provides a concise overview of key developments within the school district, incorporating updates from both the principal and the superintendent. The principal’s report highlights school-level activities, student achievement, staffing, and day-to-day operations, while the superintendent’s report addresses district-wide initiatives, policy matters, and strategic priorities. Together, these reports offer a comprehensive snapshot of current progress, challenges, and upcoming plans.

The Principal’s Report provides the Board of Education with an overview of current instructional initiatives, student achievement data, school culture updates, and day-to-day building operations.

The Superintendent’s Report provides the Board of Education with a comprehensive update on district-wide operations, strategic initiatives, and leadership activities. This report ensures alignment between Board goals, district priorities, and day-to-day implementation.

 Old Business includes items previously discussed or introduced at earlier Board meetings that require further review, action, or follow-up. This section allows the Board to address unresolved matters, consider updates, and make decisions based on continued discussion or additional information.

Based on the draft policy document for Burnham SD 154.5, the PRESS Issue 121 (March 2026) update represents a comprehensive modernization of school board policies and administrative procedures. The revisions focus primarily on compliance with recently amended Illinois state laws, clarifying board communication guidelines, and enhancing operational transparency.

Here is a descriptive breakdown of the key updates introduced in PRESS Issue 121:

1. Board Governance & Communication Protocols (Policy 2:140-E)

• OMA & Electronic Communication: Rewritten to align strictly with the Open Meetings Act (OMA) and Public Act 104-438. It provides concrete guidance for board members using email and text messaging to prevent unlawful "contemporaneous interactive communication" outside of public meetings.

• Junk Mail Exclusion: Clarifies the definition of a public record under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), explicitly excluding unsolicited commercial electronic communication (junk mail) from disclosure requirements.

• Device Best Practices: Establishes clear protocols for separating public business from personal devices and outlines the legal tests (City of Champaign v. Madigan) used to determine when private emails or texts become subject to FOIA requests.

2. Meeting Procedures and Transparency (Policy 2:200 & 2:220)

• Active Military Duty Exceptions: Incorporates amendments to the OMA ($5\text{ ILCS }120/7(a)$ via P.A. 104-438), borrowing definitions from the Service Member Employment and Reemployment Act. It explicitly allows board members on active full-time military duty to participate and vote in meetings remotely via audio or video conference.

• Special Meeting Transparency: Introduces notes and legal options regarding the proactive posting of notices and agendas at the physical location where special meetings are held (in addition to the district's main office) to enhance transparency.

• Public Participation & Voting: Includes options for districts to restrict public-suggested agenda items and updates choices regarding whether a roll-call vote is required for all final action items.

3. Public Records Access (Policy 2:250)

• FOIA Process Streamlining: Updated to prevent security risks and logistical burdens by requiring that the entirety of an electronic FOIA request reside within the body of an email rather than through attached files or hyperlinks.

• Bot Protection: Grants the district the authority to deny or pause requests if there is a reasonable belief that it was generated by an automated system/bot, giving the requester 30 days to verify they are a physical person.

4. General Personnel & Hiring Criteria (Policy 5:30 & 5:50)

• On-Call Substance Policies: Updates guidelines regarding drug- and alcohol-free workplaces, specifically providing legal commentary on how districts should handle and define "on-call" parameters for administrators, coaches, and maintenance staff regarding cannabis and alcohol prohibitions.

5. Employee Leaves of Absence (Policy 5:250)

• Family Neonatal Intensive Care Leave Act: Introduces an entirely new section mandated by $820\text{ ILCS }157/$ (effective June 1, 2026). This grants eligible employees (including part-time staff) up to 20 days of unpaid leave (or 10 days for smaller districts matching certain employee thresholds) while a child is in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). This leave is structured to be separate from, and in addition to, traditional FMLA leave.

• Bereavement Definition Expansion: Updates and refines the definition of a "covered family member" to explicitly include a spouse and other relationships under the Family Bereavement Leave Act.

New Business includes items being presented to the Board for the first time. This section allows for the introduction of new topics, proposals, or initiatives for discussion, consideration, and possible action.

This item is for the approval of a three-year contract renewal for student transportation services with First Student Transportation Services (formerly known as Kickert School Bus Lines). The renewal ensures the continuation of reliable daily transportation services for district students under the agreed-upon terms, spanning from the 2026-2027 school year through the 2028-2029 school year.

For the upcoming school year, the pricing adjustment would be an increase of $0.0150 per white milk half-pint and $0.0150 per flavored milk half-pint.

We greatly value our partnership, and extending the agreement will help support the district’s planning efforts for the year ahead.

The Board will convene in Closed Session, as permitted under the Illinois Open Meetings Act, to discuss confidential matters including personnel, collective bargaining, student discipline, litigation, and other topics legally exempt from public discussion.

 *Secretary — please ensure that the closed session is being recorded.

The Personnel section includes recommendations and actions related to district staffing, including employment, appointments, resignations, leaves, assignments, and other personnel matters necessary to support district operations and student learning.

Approval of all routine personnel actions as presented in items L.2 through L.13. This includes the renewals of non-tenured teachers, the case manager, instructional aides, BCBA, and the 3-year Principal contract; appointments for full-time and LBS 1 substitute teachers; the FY 27 full-time staff salary increases; summer hours and additional stipends; and professional service agreements with Wilke Systems International, Inc. and Fresh Psychological Beginnings.

To rehire all non-tenured teachers, Destany Pryor, Richard Almonina, and Angel Brual, for the 2027 school year in accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement. 

To rehire our full-time substitute teacher, Debra Moore, in accordance with the Master's Step 1 lane.

To approve rehiring Gianna Morsovillo as a full-time Special Education Assistant/Substitute Teacher for FY 2027. Once she has achieved her Early Elementary Special Education Endorsement, she will proceed to Bachelor Step 1 on the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). 

To approve rehiring Cynthia Kaymark as our Special Education Case Manager for FY 2027 with a 6% increase in salary.

To approve the rehiring of our instructional aides with a 6% increase in the hourly rate of pay: Mark Cundiff, Sylvia Salazar, Blanca Sahagun, Doris Nunley, Taylor Harris, and Yanelli Cortes

To rehire Lakeisha Johnson as our Board Certified Behavioral Assistant (BCBA) for FY 2027 with a 6% increase in the hourly rate of pay.

This item establishes the FY 27 salary increases for all eligible full-time educational support personnel (ESP), which includes administrative assistants, custodial personnel, and maintenance staff. In an effort to maintain competitive compensation and recognize the vital contributions of our support staff to the district's operations, the proposed salary increase aligns with the approved 4% teacher contract raise and a 2% annual step increase. 

To approve a summer work schedule for all full-time District employees from Monday through Thursday, for eight hours daily, with the District's facilities closed on Fridays, effective from 6/8/2026 to 8/1/2026. 

Due to the absence of a full-time or part-time certified school nurse during the school year, Mari Gonzalez and Sherry Jones stepped in to manage day-to-day student health needs, administer basic first aid, and ensure student safety. This stipend recognizes their additional responsibilities and dedication to student well-being outside of their normal job descriptions.

To approve a stipend for Mari Gonzalez and Sherry Jones for providing general nursing and first aid services to students during the 2025-2026 school year in the absence of a full or part-time district nurse.

Your invoice for IT services for the upcoming school year is attached. Please review the charges and contact us if you have any questions.

You will note 'Managed Services - User' is being offered at $0.00 this year. We believe that, for the 2025-26 term, we did not provide the level of service you have come to expect from us. As a result, we are offering an additional year at no charge. Part of this offering is Security Awareness Training. We will make available training videos for the entire staff in the upcoming year. An example of this can be found here:

https://wsii.net/cybersecurity/Spam_v_Phishing_gmail.m4v

Also, we will be providing periodic Dark Web reporting. 

Motion to approve Wilke Systems International, Inc. as our technology consultant for FY 2027 in the amount of $27,360.

Motion to approve the Contractual Staffing Agreement for the 2026-2027 School Year for Fresh Psychological Beginnings as presented. 

 

To approve the three-year contract extension for Mrs. Jennifer Pozdzal as presented.

The Burnham School District 154.5 Board of Education proudly recognizes and congratulates our newly tenured faculty members.

Having successfully completed the rigorous requirements for early tenure, these educators have consistently demonstrated exceptional teaching practices, deep commitment to student growth, and outstanding performance across all categories of their professional teacher evaluations. Attaining early tenure is a testament to their dedication, instructional excellence, and positive impact on our school community.

We commend them for their hard work and look forward to their continued contributions to the success of our students and district.

Adjournment marks the official conclusion of the School Board meeting after all scheduled business is completed.