This week is Safety Week in Barrington 220 and at the September 20 Board of Education meeting, Dr. Robert Hunt addressed the lockdown incident that occurred at Barrington High School last week.
District leaders and the Barrington Police Department have been debriefing the response to the incident in an effort to identify what went well and areas that require additional conversation moving forward. Safety is an area of continuous improvement; therefore, the district will not only debrief with law enforcement and staff at Barrington High School, but share lessons learned with other buildings throughout the district. Dr. Hunt thanked School Resource Officer Eve Gaitan, staff, and students for their prompt response during the incident.
In addition, Dr. Hunt reminded the Board that the district has a dedicated See Something, Say Something webpage and he encouraged everyone to report an issue if something doesn’t seem right.
Over the past few years, Barrington 220 has taken many actions to improve safety and security across the district, which you can learn more about by clicking here.
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Design work underway at Early Learning Center, Barbara B. Rose, Lines, North Barrington |
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At the September 20 Board meeting, district leaders shared an update on the Build 220 initiative.
DESIGN
The Design Phase is currently underway at the Barrington Early Learning Center, Arnett C. Lines Elementary, Barbara B. Rose Elementary, and North Barrington Elementary. Construction at these schools is anticipated to begin in summer 2023. The district has been holding informational meetings for the community about the design process at each school. Visit our Build 220 webpage to learn more.
In addition, work will be getting underway this fall to do an analysis of existing fine arts instructional and performance spaces at Barrington High School. As you may recall, the $147 million referendum that the community passed in March 2020 included funds to create the architectural design work for a potential new Fine Arts Center at BHS. The work is expected to take six months to complete.
BUILD
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You’re Invited: CommUNITY Conversations on Oct. 18 |
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This school year the Board of Education will be modifying its meeting format a few times throughout the year to hold “CommUNITY Conversations with the Board of Education”. Instead of a regular Board meeting where action items are voted on, the meeting will be a topical discussion.
The first CommUNITY Conversations will be held on Oct. 18 at 7pm in the new classroom addition at Station Middle School. It will focus on the following topics:
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Framework 220 Strategic Priorities (Personalized Learning & Future Readiness) and how the new classroom additions at Station and Prairie Middle Schools are positively impacting teaching and learning
- District update on safety and security measures
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Board approves FY23 budget |
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At the Sept. 20 Board meeting, the Board approved the FY23 budget. Approximately 86% of the district's revenue comes from local property taxes. The balance comes from state and federal funding, and other local revenues such as registration fees and donations. This marks the 26th year Barrington 220 has passed a balanced budget. In addition, Barrington 220 continues to maintain fiscal responsibility and earn a AAA bond rating from Standard & Poor's, making it one of less than 100 school districts nationwide to earn the recognition.
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Board upholds recommendation of district level review of materials |
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At the September 20 Board meeting, the Board voted to uphold a district review committee's recommendation for the following books to remain on the shelf in the BHS Library: "Flamer" by Mike Curato and "This Book is Gay" by Juno Dawson. The Board's decision comes after three review cycles for each book, which were conducted by the BHS Library staff, BHS building staff, and a district level review committee. The Board plans to discuss the district's book selection and review process at its next regularly scheduled meeting on Oct. 3.
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Chicago Bears recognize Countryside Elementary teacher |
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In his Superintendent's Report at the Sept. 20 Board meeting, Dr. Hunt congratulated Anne McNamara, a teacher in the Foundations Program at Countryside Elementary. This week Anne was awarded the "Classroom Legends” Award from the Chicago Bears and CDW Corporation. The award is given to teachers who go above and beyond in the classroom. Anne received a check for $1,000 to spend on supplies in her classroom, along with a personalized Bears jersey and tickets for this weekend's game! |
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Sunny Hill student selected "Star-Spangled Student" |
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At the Sept. 20 Board meeting, Sunny Hill Elementary student Raul Ornelas led meeting attendees in reciting the pledge of allegiance. This is part of an initiative at Board meetings called the "Star-Spangled Student" which recognizes exemplary students. Raul is a 5th grader at Sunny Hill. Staff members say he works hard, follows directions and is mindful of others. Raul is also funny, joyful, kind-hearted, calm and a natural leader inside and outside the classroom. Congrats Raul! |
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