Volume 25, No. 8 | Wednesday, February 23, 2022
News from the February 22, 2022 meeting
District Prepares for Mask-Recommended Schools
The Board of Education voted to transition to a mask-recommended environment at school effective March 7, the first day of school after the governor’s executive order expires.

The district’s legal counsel has advised that the district, since it is not named in either lawsuit challenging COVID-19 mitigation measures, is legally required to follow the governor’s executive order requiring masking in school until it expires on March 5. Over the next two weeks, teachers and administrators will make plans to adjust to the new environment and support medically fragile, immunocompromised and high-risk students and staff. Staff will develop plans to work with the entire student body to reinforce kindness and respect.

“I do believe we are a caring and compassionate community. I’ve seen it for almost 15 years,” Dr. Hewitt said. “Clearly, not every child is going to need an adjustment period. However, we have many children who are going to be anxious and nervous. We need to be able to work with them.”

The board also listened to over 60 minutes of public comment from 25 citizens before the vote. 

Students have been attending school in a universal masking environment for the past 18 months. Changing to recommended masking is the biggest adjustment in mitigation the district has implemented throughout the pandemic. There may still be situational masking requirements to meet legal compliances, such as the federal mandate requiring face masks on buses, Dr. Hewitt explained in his presentation. Temporary masking may be required for ADA or other legal compliance, athletic and music-related activities, and other unique environments. The district will maintain other mitigation measures.

The legal and regulatory environment surrounding all COVID-19 mitigation is still unsettled and subject to change. If the state legislature gets involved, there is a change in health metrics or there is a new court ruling that impacts District 28, there may be a cause to shift policy again.
Board Approves New Meadowbrook Principal
Ericka Garza will be the next principal of Meadowbrook School following the Board of Education’s approval Feb. 22.

In all, there were 40 applications, and nine candidates participating in first-round interviews with administrative team members. Three finalists were interviewed by incoming Superintendent Dr. Jason Pearson and Assistant Superintendent Dr. Kris Raitzer. From there, two finalists were interviewed by the staff interview team and the parent interview team.

Dr. Pearson, Dr. Raitzer and Dr. Hewitt then discussed the finalists, reviewed stakeholder feedback, and determined that Ericka Garza is the right person to serve as Meadowbrook’s next principal, effective July 1.

Ms. Garza is currently in her fifth year as principal of Mark Twain School in Kankakee District 202. Previous to that, she was the English Learner program coordinator at Marquette School of Excellence in Chicago. She began her career as an EL Teacher for grades 4-8. She has a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from National Louis University and is working on her doctoral degree from the University of St. Francis.

Those who interviewed her indicated that she is sincere, knowledgeable and approachable. They further view her as a relationship builder, an experienced leader, very child-centered and one who values connections.
Ericka Garza will begin as the new Meadowbrook principal on July 1 following Patrick Thome’s retirement.
Superintendent's Report
'State of 28' Offers District Overview
Superintendent Dr. Larry Hewitt presented his annual – and final – report, “State of 28,” that provides key information about the district using longitudinal data in several areas, including demographics, enrollment, student characteristics and finances.

In addition to navigating new challenges in year three of the pandemic, a couple of instructional initiatives are underway this year. This is year two of implementing the new math curriculum for K-5 and the revised math curriculum for grades 6-8. Science curriculum review has begun with a committee of teachers representing all grades and a high school representative. 

Operationally, the district launched a mobile app to improve parent access to district communications; enhancements to building security and cybersecurity have been added; and roofing and HVAC projects are underway to maintain the school buildings.

The “State of 28” concludes with a list of issues the district is monitoring and tracking for their potential future impact. View the complete report here.
In Brief....
HVAC Projects Approved for Meadowbrook, Greenbriar
Meadowbrook School will get an upgrade in its heating, ventilation and air conditioning and Greenbriar will get one new A/C unit next school year.

The contract to install the equipment was awarded, as required by law, to the lowest responsible bidder, Helm Mechanical. The equipment purchase of a rooftop unit and chiller for Meadowbrook and a rooftop unit for Greenbriar was approved in January. The project is scheduled for completion this fall after the cooling season has ended.
Want to Know More?
Livestream/Archive Video
The Board of Education meetings are live-streamed on the District 28's YouTube Channel. The live streams are also archived for later viewing.

Next Meeting is March 15
The Board of Education is holding in-person meetings at Northbrook Junior High in the library. The meeting will be held following health and safety protocols. The meetings will continue to be live-streamed on the District 28 YouTube channel. The next regular meeting of the Board of Education is scheduled for 7 p.m. on March 15.
Board of Education