December 18, 2024

At our Dec. 17 meeting, the Board heard an update from Dr. Matt Fuller, Assistant Superintendent of Technology & Innovation, Dr. Peg Lasiewicki, Assistant Superintendent of Student Services & Support, and Joe Robinson, Director of Innovation, on a Health & Well-Being strategic priority area from the district's strategic plan, Framework 220. During the 2024-2025 school year, the district is focusing on Social Media Awareness & Digital Citizenship with the goal of identifying and implementing a district-wide process to address the use of social media in a healthy, safe manner. 

Earlier in the school year the district formed a Social Media Awareness & Digital Citizenship Advisory Committee, including nearly 50 students, staff, parents/guardians, community members and experts, to gather data and review current practices and procedures surrounding this topic. In their first meeting on Oct. 22, 2024, the Advisory Committee:

• Reviewed research on Social Media Awareness and Digital Citizenship including local, national and global perspectives; 
• Engaged in Design Thinking Framework activities including creating an Empathy Map and completing a pattern recognition activity; and 
• Introduced two books that will serve as guiding documents for their work: Growing Up in Public by Devorah Heitner and The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt.

These activities generated a list of possible advisory committee priorities that will be discussed at the committee’s next meeting on Jan. 14, 2025. Future opportunities for involvement will include surveys, focus groups, professional development, and family engagement events. Click here to view the committee’s presentation.

At our Dec. 17 meeting, the Board approved a resolution to adopt the district’s new e-learning plan, which allows the district to hold up to five remote learning days per school year in lieu of emergency school closures. The updated plan, which will remain in place through the 2027-2028 school year, includes increased focus on continuity with the curriculum, additional synchronous learning opportunities, and new attendance procedures for middle and high school students. The new plan also calls for the formation of a professional development team that will create and curate an e-learning resource hub for staff, students and families. View the e-learning resolution here.

Board Approves Course Exchange Program

with District 211

At our Dec. 17 meeting, the Board approved an Intergovernmental Agreement between Northwest Educational Council for Student Success (NECSS) partners Barrington High School and Township High School District 211. The 10-year agreement will allow students from both districts’ high schools to participate in a course exchange program. Effective immediately, students enrolled at Barrington High School will be permitted to enroll in the Building Construction course offered by District 211, and students enrolled in District 211 will be permitted to enroll in the Aviation summer course offered by Barrington 220. Home district students will receive enrollment priority.

Board Approves 2024 Property Tax Levy

At our Dec. 17 meeting, the Board approved the district’s share of the local property taxes for 2025. Barrington 220 collects property taxes from Cook, Kane, Lake and McHenry Counties, and property taxes account for approximately 80% of the district's annual operating revenues. While the district expects to receive an overall levy increase of 4.5% compared to last year, it has requested a 5% increase in the event new construction costs are higher than expected. This includes the capped funds and debt service obligations. Based on projections, the total expected tax revenue to be collected in 2025 is $164,454,578. The Board did not issue Debt Service Extension Base (DSEB) this year; however, we still have the option to do so this fiscal year. Click here to read tax levy FAQs.

In his Dec. 17 Superintendent’s Report, Dr. Winkelman shared information on Vision 2030, an advocacy framework for public education in Illinois. Developed by a cohort of education organizations from across the state, the framework’s goals include keeping students safe, keeping high-quality educators in front of children, enhancing post-secondary success, and improving measurement of what is working. These goals complement several priority areas within Barrington 220’s strategic plan, Framework 220. The Board will vote on a resolution to support Vision 2030 goals at a future Board meeting. View Dr. Winkelman’s presentation here.

In his Superintendent’s Report at our Dec. 17 meeting, Dr. Winkelman congratulated the Barrington High School Fine Arts Department on another successful Winter Wonderfest event, and thanked them for providing an opportunity for our community to come together. The 5th annual event, which took place Dec. 13-14 at Barrington High School, featured a light show, live ice carving, themed trees, holiday crafts and carnival games in the new BHS atrium, music and dance performances by Barrington 220 students, an art show, a book reading, and more.

In his Dec. 17 Superintendent’s Report, Dr. Winkelman thanked all who participated in the Dec. 14 Barrington Giving Day event at Station Middle School. Each December, Barrington Giving Day invites Barrington 220 families in need to a Giving Day event where they receive warm coats, boots, hats, gloves, bedding, books, children’s gifts and more. This year’s winter event served a record 466 families, including 1,093 children. Barrington Giving Day is also available throughout the year to provide support to Barrington 220 families and children experiencing homelessness or other dire needs.

At our Dec. 17 meeting, four Board members who served as delegates to the 2024 Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) Joint Annual Conference provided an update on their experience. Every November, school boards from across the state send delegates to the conference in Chicago. This year, Board members Barry Altshuler, Erin Chan Ding, Leah Collister-Lazzari and Steve Wang served as delegates for the Barrington 220 Board of Education. Each Board member chose workshops and presentations to attend, and reported on their takeaways. Click here to view the Board members’ updates.

Throughout the 2024-2025 school year, students from each Barrington 220 school are making special appearances at our Board of Education meetings to share updates about the great things happening at their schools. At our Dec. 17 meeting, we welcomed Brian Rudnicki, a senior at Barrington High School. During Brian’s time at BHS, he has been a co-leader of Future Farmers of America (FFA) and participated in band, woodworking, and theatre. His advice to incoming freshmen is to choose one of the many activities available at BHS and give it a try. Brian says extracurricular opportunities make BHS #ThePlaceToB! Click here to view Brian’s update.