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In this issue, you will find information related to:
- Approval of 2025-26 Staffing
- Approval of School Psychologist Staffing Proposal
- 2025 Summer Workshops
- Five-Year Financial Forecast
- Five Year Technology Plan
- Q3 Student and Staff Recognition
Approval of 2025-26 Staffing
At the March Board of Education meeting, the Administration presented recommendations related to course sectioning, staffing, and contract renewals for the 2025-2026 school year. Following a review of course enrollment data, the Central Leadership Team proposed an overall instructional FTE of 267.2, which represents a net instructional increase of 2.2 FTE (full-time equivalent), brought to the Board for approval. Additionally, the Board reviewed a summary of Capstone courses and those with enrollments below 18 students. These recommendations are based on course requests from 3,816 students currently registered in Infinite Campus for the upcoming school year, compared to 3,781 students for 2024-2025.
As part of the staffing review, the Administration continues to collaborate with the Multilingual Department to determine the number of bilingual-certified co-teachers needed to support ML courses. While the anticipated need for ML co-teachers has been factored into the overall FTE increase, there may be a need for adjustments to ensure proper staffing for all co-taught ML courses.
The Board also received a recommendation regarding administrative staff contract renewals for the 2025-2026 school year. In addition, due to a reduction in force, the Board approved a resolution to honorably dismiss any certified staff members affected by necessary reductions. Similarly, a recommendation was made to reduce the number of paraeducators by releasing all first-year paraeducators at the end of the 2024-2025 school year. As discussed with the Board, this is part of the district’s standard process each spring, and first-year paraeducators are typically recalled over the summer as staffing needs are finalized.
Finally, the Board approved a salary increase of 3.5% for 2025-26 for non-union employees in the following workgroups: Classified/Non-contractual, Classified/Non-contractual Supervisors, and Administrators.
School Psychologist Staffing Proposal
The Board approved the hiring of 4 school psychologists for the 2025-26 school year. With current total student enrollment of approximately 3700, this moves the psychologist to student ratio to 1:925, which fits within LT’s current grade-level Student Support Team structure and marks a significant improvement to the scope and capability of the District's multidisciplinary teams.
LTHS has traditionally obtained school psychologists via the LaGrange Area Department of Special Education (LADSE). Within the last 20 years, LT has had 3 full-time school psychologists assigned by LADSE. The assigned school psychologists are hired, evaluated, and compensated by LADSE but are within our district for their full assignment (1.0FTE). With an average enrollment of 3700 - 4000 students, the school psychologist to student recommended ratio (1:500) has never been met. This recommended ratio speaks to the breadth of services that school psychologists are prepared to provide (i.e. working with and on behalf of all students) while the assignment of 3 psychologists (approx. 1:1200) reflects a limited scope of work for the school psychologists assigned within special education only (approximately 11% of the total population or 420 total students). At LT, like most high schools across the nation, there has been much greater emphasis on social/emotional learning and mental wellness of students. Concurrently, the accepted best (educational and psychological) practice of utilizing a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework for understanding and intervening on learning needs has become a requirement. These approaches and practices require strong multidisciplinary teams, data literacy, and robust interventions systems. The addition of four school psychologists will help LT become uniquely positioned to facilitate and implement those systems.
2025 Summer Workshops
The Board approved 26 workshops involving 251 teachers for the summer of 2025. Grant funds will cover $96,750 of the anticipated costs, and District funds will cover $68,625. Workshops will include curriculum review work, advancing our restorative practices framework, onboarding new co-teaching partnerships, implementing English learning standards, and developing curriculum for new courses, such as Baking and Pastry Arts and our new Heritage Spanish courses.
Five-Year Financial Forecast (Stachacz)
Each year, as part of the annual budgeting process, an updated Five-Year Financial
Forecast for the district is created by Director of Finance, Brian Stachacz. The purpose of this forecast is to provide some definition to the financial trajectory of the district based on current known factors as well as unknown factors, and to point out possible factors that will impact the District’s financial future. It is important to remember that the forecast is a projection and that the assumptions used are based on the current financial climate. It is also important to point out that the district has control over some of the factors in its financial health, such as collective bargaining agreements, and has very little or no control over other factors, such as the Consumer Price Index (CPI) which is used as a maximum increase (excluding “New Property”) to the annual tax levy.
The Five-Year Financial Forecast that was presented during the March meeting shows that District 204 remains on stable financial ground. Each year of the current forecast shows small operating surpluses. The financial condition of the District is the direct result of responsible financial decisions and management.
Five Year Technology Plan
The Board approved a new, updated five-year (2025-2030) Technology Plan. This plan sets the course for strategic planning, budgeting, and upgrades to ensure technology is prepared to meet the needs of all users at Lyons Township High School District 204. Aligned to Strategic Plan Goal 5, Strategy 12, the plan will “improve technology infrastructure and access for students, staff and families.” In order to ensure that the LTHS Technology Plan is grounded in best practice, the District has aligned the 2024 National Educational Technology Plan with the corresponding LTHS Strategic Plan goals and outcomes.
View the complete plan.
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