BOARD BRIEFS is a summary of the most recent Lyons Township High School District #204 Board of Education Regular Action Meeting. 

Please note BOARD BRIEFS is not an official transcript of the meeting.

For more information regarding the Board of Education, which includes a link to view the livestream of all meetings, please visit the LTHS Board of Education website.

Board President Kari Dillon reminded those addressing the Board that individuals are expected to behave with respect and civility toward others and shall not use vulgar or obscene language, or impede, delay, disrupt or interfere with a Board meeting. For full policy details, consult the Board Policy manual on the District’s website.

• December Graduates: Superintendent Waterman congratulated December graduates, each of whom completed all graduation requirements at the conclusion of the first semester. These students will have the opportunity to participate in this spring’s commencement ceremony.

• IMEA All-State Musicians: Illinois Music Educators Association honors the very best musicians from around the state of Illinois, and, once again, LT is honored to be represented with the following students selected for this honor: Lucas Barnes: Choir – Senior, Julia Blumhagen: Choir – Junior, *Charles Cundiff: Orchestra – Senior, *Emerson Eich: Choir – Senior, Cassidy Gall: Choir – Senior, Natalie Garbe: Band – Senior, Emmett James: Band – Senior, Grace Kovacs: Orchestra- Sophomore, Madison Kraus: Orchestra – Senior, *Amber Phillips: Choir – Senior, Connor Sandman: Choir – Junior and Kai Werlinsky: Orchestra – Sophomore (*Honors All-State Musicians)

• Black History Month: An annual celebration of achievements by African Americans, Black History Month is a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. In addition to visual displays, social media posts, and daily announcements celebrating the achievements of African Americans throughout history, LT also hosted entertainer Maggie Brown, who performed Legacy: A Wealth of Music for classes both in person and via live-stream on Friday, February 11. The presentation focused on the history and influence of African American music and lessons on inheriting and leaving a legacy. Later this week, LT will host Virtual Pulitzer Center Journalist Noreen Nasir and the LT Reads Book Club: Angel of Greenwood.

• Monthly FOIA Report:

• Message of Hope: Superintendent Waterman acknowledged the challenges that our school community has encountered throughout the last few weeks. He noted that the divisiveness, the disrespect, the racism, and the examples of anger in the form of harassment is not what we are accustomed to seeing at LT. At the same time, even in these difficult moments, learning continues. Student engagement with staff continues. Student participation in activities and athletics continues. Students getting support and encouragement from staff continues. He added that it is more important than ever to double down on kindness, compassionate, and tolerance. To double down on cultivating an environment conducive for learning and make sure actions send a message of hope and respect. He added, “And, I know, as this divisiveness continues in school communities throughout the country, I know this…if there is one school that will overcome this, if there is one school that will re-unite, and do what is best for all students, it’s this one. It’s LT. And, we will get there by working together.” 

• The Board approved several updated and/or revised District policies as received from its PRESS Plus service.

• The Board approved the 2022-23 Textbook/Instructional Material Change requests, most of which replace previous editions or swap one novel for another. The bulk of the monies requested are for new health books. Two of the new texts are digital, where each student will receive a code to access the digital book online. The total textbook requests total approximately $89,000.

• As a result of recent statewide court proceedings and legislative actions and the decline in transmission within our community and school, the Board of Education approved an updated COVID-19 Mitigation Plan, which includes a transition to a mask recommended environment on Monday, February 28, 2022. This date aligns with the state of Illinois’ decision to lift the indoor mask mandate for most public places on the same date. Updated Mitigation Plan details will be available on the web and in order to support students through the transition to a mask recommended environment, teachers will guide students through mini-lessons this Thursday and Friday.

• The Board approved the following contracts:

• Grading Practices Update Superintendent Waterman recapped last week’s Grading Practices Update noting that it included a brief history, significant concerns communicated prior to 2017, the most recent history from the fall, as well as feedback and adjustments made in time for the 2^nd semester. First semester grade data and perception data collected from the Strategic Planning Environmental Scan were shared, along with teacher testimonials. He also noted that the presentation is available to watch on our Board of Education website. He detailed the questions the administrative team is working to clarify for the Board of Education.

• Co-Teaching Pilot Director of Student Services Leslie Owens reviewed plans for a co-teaching pilot next school year at the Freshman Level within English I and World History classes. Co-teaching will provide a necessary service delivery component and take a significant step toward actualizing our district’s equity statement and desire for an inclusive school environment in which students feel an authentic sense of belonging while achieving at the highest levels. In terms of enrollment, nearly 35% of incoming students are currently enrolled (in 8th grade) in co-taught English and/or social studies courses, which is approximately 44 students. Co-taught courses are general education courses and will follow our traditional class-size maximums of 26 students. In a co-taught classroom, typically 70% of the students are general education students and 30% are special education students.

• Arabic Culture Club moved from a pilot status to full club recognition, and Esports Club stipends increased to reflect the club’s growing membership with weekly competitions.

Board President Kari Dillon reminded those addressing the Board that individuals are expected to behave with respect and civility toward others and shall not use vulgar or obscene language, or impede, delay, disrupt or interfere with a Board meeting. For full policy details, consult the Board Policy manual on the District’s website.