December 4, 2024

At our Dec. 3 Board meeting, we recognized BHS sophomore Mia Sirois, who won the 2024 IHSA Girls Cross Country 3A State Championship last month, and the BHS Girls Cross Country Team, which took first place as a team at state. Mia posted an IHSA record-setting time for the 3-mile race of 15:53.4, joining BHS senior Scout Storms as the second state cross country champion in BHS history! The team is coached by Head Coach Deb Revolta, who was voted Girls 3A Cross Country Coach of the Year by her peers, and Assistant Coach Emily Mohr. Click here to view the recognition.

In his Dec. 3 Superintendent’s Report, Dr. Winkelman provided an update on the $64M referendum approved on Nov. 5, 2024. The district will work with DLA Architects and Pepper Construction on the planned construction, which is scheduled to begin this summer and will span approximately four years. To keep the community apprised of construction plans and updates, the district has created a new web page entitled Transform 220. A detailed construction timeline and more information will be shared on the webpage in 2025! Click here to view the Transform 220 Board update.

Barrington 220 Earns Rare Financial Designation Among School Districts

In his Dec. 3 Superintendent’s Report, Dr. Winkelman shared that Barrington 220 was notified this week it has maintained its AAA bond rating status from S&P Global Ratings, making it one of just 89 school districts across the country to earn the highest rating. In addition, Barrington 220 is one of only 22 school districts in Illinois with a AAA bond rating. As a AAA bond rated school district, Barrington 220 will receive the lowest competitive interest rates when seeking bond financing.

Board Approves Bond Sale for Referendum Projects

At our Dec. 3 meeting, the Board approved the sale of $14,000,000 in bonds for upcoming referendum projects including a new community auditorium at Barrington High School, increased safety and security measures, and enhanced STEAM and instructional spaces for students. This is the first sale of bonds for the $64M referendum approved by voters in the Nov. 5 election. By law, the funding secured by the bonds can be used only for needed infrastructure projects.

In his Dec. 3 Superintendent’s Report, Dr. Winkelman highlighted Global Awareness, an objective under the Future Readiness priority of the district’s strategic plan, Framework 220. Global Awareness aims to prepare all learners to interact effectively with the world through developing cultural competence, cultural appreciation, and understanding of world issues, and building global citizenship through experiences. The Global Awareness committee is identifying current district offerings, assessing existing curricular ties, defining key terminology, and creating additional data gathering instruments. The committee, which meets monthly, plans to enter the Recommendation phase by the end of the 2024-2025 school year.

At our Dec. 3 meeting, the Board held a public hearing for the district’s proposed new e-learning plan. Dr. Melissa Byrne, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, also shared a presentation on proposed updates to the district's current e-learning plan, which include increased focus on continuity with the curriculum, additional synchronous learning opportunities, and new attendance procedures. The new plan also includes the formation of a professional development team that will create and curate an e-learning resource hub for staff, students, and families. The current e-learning plan, which allows the district to hold up to five remote learning days in lieu of emergency school closures, is set to expire after this school year. The Board will vote on the new e-learning plan at our Dec. 17 meeting. If approved, the new plan will remain in place for three years. Click here to view the presentation.

Board Conducts Public Hearing on 2024 Tax Levy

At our Dec. 3 meeting, the Board held a public hearing on the proposed 2024 tax levy, which is the second step in the process of establishing a final levy of property taxes to support the district in 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. If approved, the district expects to receive an overall levy increase of 4.5% compared to last year; however, it is requesting a 5.0% increase in the event new construction costs are greater 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. We are anticipated to approve the final tax levy on Dec. 17. As part of the tentative levy, 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. 3 Superintendent’s Report, Dr. Winkelman shared that on Nov. 26, students in the Barrington Transition Program cooked up a feast to celebrate Friendsgiving! Students invited special guests, including Dr. Winkelman, to share in the meal. They also made Thanksgiving-themed crafts and shared what they are thankful for. The Barrington Transition Program is a vocational program serving students from Barrington 220 who qualify for special education services, have been deemed appropriate to continue their education in the area of transition activities by their IEP team, and are between the ages of 18-22 years old.

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. 3 meeting, we welcomed Avery Mitchell, an 8th grader at Prairie Campus. During Avery’s time at Prairie, she has participated in the fall and spring drama productions, which allowed her to experience new perspectives, and extended art class, which enabled her to explore her creativity and try new things. She noted that making art creates a path for new ideas and teaches lessons that can be applied to other areas. Avery says all of these opportunities make Prairie #ThePlaceToB! Click here to view Avery’s update.