[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6338864,"mediaKeyId","2267067-6e55a227a42491cea5fcd57e6a457a70","parentId",2267067,"title","Board actions: MOU with GrowCommunity, retroactive change order, working-cash abatement, personnel and disciplinary items","audioSeconds",1927,"startMs",3057000,"endMs",4984000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2267067-6e55a227a42491cea5fcd57e6a457a70&start=3057&end=4984","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2267067-6e55a227a42491cea5fcd57e6a457a70/thumbnail_3057000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6338864/Illinois/Board-actions-MOU-with-GrowCommunity-retroactive-change-order-working-cash-abatement-personnel-and-disciplinary-items","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6338864-9d084f4d7818f317ddf794b74c4b09d2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771173028&Signature=hNIiOYXzqd1Dke3EFHTbf8xqaUQsN~DenzzSjiRdrurn~CO4YZKfDg-3Dhbm6U~6bdobY6SXqXYib3W9qCA-PGB1f0lj3U~Aq3Z61TgmIselXeq23H1Ql5W7MSArBtusDaNYqBGErVOLm~gY971P8bsf-sXsMShgfBg8OC9sYdYP66-gqA9gqY-btA3r3-ssRmUNp9HYfAaMQ~JdAuXDx1PxStRPtaTvQ2xtGO0x6uL3cb1xm4~vPFxjwWg7SVFwq48vRhWKnQwh554lm7hAp7rFFiwcikuZLsITLzpRXLA9JsbeCwPfpWvntzEYKfLhKAKoE-Z~d9IpBOeGEuGiFQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Waukegan CUSD 60","date","2025-01-29T14:38:09Z","article","The Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 Board of Education on Feb. 11 voted on a slate of motions that included contract approvals, a retroactive construction change order, a large transfer from the working-cash fund and several personnel and discipline items.

Here are the principal actions taken by the board (motions, seconder and outcome are listed as recorded in the meeting):

- Lewis Middle School learning-partner revision (agenda item 12a): The board authorized a $3,600 contract revision with Capturing Kids' Arts for John R. Lewis Middle School. Motion by Miss Gonzales; second by Miss Anna; roll call approved.

- Memorandum of understanding with GrowCommunity (agenda item 12b): Board authorized the superintendent to execute the MOU providing space for appointment-based mental-health services at the wraparound center. Motion carried on roll call.

- Retroactive change order No. 2, Washington campus retaining wall and exterior concrete work (agenda item 12c): The board ratified an increase in the project budget from $475,393.43 to $487,494.46, an addition of $12,101.03, and acknowledged prior change orders totaling larger amounts tied to unforeseen deterioration discovered during work. Motion by Miss Gonzales; second Miss Hannah; approved.

- Authorization to issue a notice to remedy a tenured teacher (agenda item 13a): The administration recommended a remedial warning under the statute cited in the agenda. Following public comment from the union and board discussion about due-process concerns, the individual motion to issue the warning was withdrawn and the item was carried over for further review (tabled) to allow additional consultation with the union.

- Settlement agreement with employee no. 20049 (agenda item 13b): The board approved a settlement agreement in the form presented by general counsel with a fiscal impact reported at $22,500. Motion by Miss Gonzales; second by Mister McBride; roll call approved. District staff said confidentiality limited public disclosure of details beyond the amount.

- Personnel actions (agenda item 13c): The board approved appointments, retirements, extensions and resignations listed on the personnel schedules. Motion by Miss Gonzales; second by Miss Fabian; roll call approved.

- Resolution abating working-cash fund (agenda item 16a): The board approved a resolution transferring $29,790,000 from the working-cash fund to the operations and maintenance capital projects fund and an additional $800,000 to the bond and interest fund to pay bond interest. Motion by Miss Gonzales; second Miss Lindsey; roll call approved.

- First processing of February 2025 board payments (agenda item 16b): The board ratified accounts payable and other payments for the period 01/22/2025 through 02/04/2025: accounts payable $1,437,188.42; mail check requests $2,703,885.93; Old National Bank insurance payments $2,651,848.54. Motion approved on roll call.

- Policy 6046, prohibition against bullying (second reading, agenda item 19a): The board approved revisions to the student bullying policy on second reading. Board members asked administration to coordinate separate personnel policies addressing staff-and-parent conduct and to provide a parent communication plan describing bullying definitions and examples. Motion by Miss Gonzales; second Miss Fabian; approved.

- Expulsion proceeding, student ending 758 (agenda item 21): The board considered a mandatory-expulsion referral under the school code for possession of a weapon. The superintendent and principal recommended modifying the mandatory one-year expulsion; the board adopted a resolution concuring with the superintendent's modification to two days of out-of-school suspension (already served) and an individualized safety plan; the board directed written notification to the family within five business days. Motion by Miss Lindsay; second Miss Hannah; roll call approved.

Several votes included line-by-line roll-call confirmations in the meeting transcript; where recorded, board members voted in the affirmative and the motions passed.

Context and oversight questions

Board members asked for follow-up on a number of items: why a contractor change order yielded large additional costs, how the district ensures staff follow board approval processes for change orders, and whether due process was observed in a disciplinary case after the union raised procedural objections during public comment. District staff said they would return with detailed answers and that improved internal processes are being implemented to ensure required board approvals occur before work is completed.

Public comment and union concerns

Andy Freeleben, president of the Waukegan Teachers Council, addressed the board during public comment and urged the board to delay issuing a remedial warning until contractually required due process with the union was satisfied. After further discussion, board members agreed to carry the remedial-warning item to the next meeting to allow the union to submit objections in writing.

Next steps

Where the board directed staff to follow up, administrators said they would return with supplemental materials (contract documentation and a change-order history for the retaining-wall project, and confirmation of due-process steps for the disciplinary matter) at a subsequent meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Feburary 11th, 2025 - Board of Education Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","At its Feb. 11 meeting the Waukegan CUSD 60 board approved a set of contracts, a retroactive construction change order, a large working-cash abatement and multiple personnel actions; a proposed remedial warning for a tenured teacher was carried over after a union request and a settlement agreement totaling $22,500 was approved.","taxTitle","Waukegan CUSD 60, School Boards, Illinois","taxId",14972,"location","Illinois","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6338870,"District presents midyear assessment data showing gains in early grades, mixed results later",1918,3814000,5732000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2267067-6e55a227a42491cea5fcd57e6a457a70&start=3814&end=5732","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2267067-6e55a227a42491cea5fcd57e6a457a70/thumbnail_3814000.jpg","/articles/6338870/Illinois/District-presents-midyear-assessment-data-showing-gains-in-early-grades-mixed-results-later","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6338870-3c35aa54b62a0da3fddce2a375184d43/orig.mp4?Expires=1771173028&Signature=G7QwnPFWLtnND5xHEPEYhtqyjepYcfx6ljEQ2OWqewYYYLqFXj8czls9Ct6yNPCIwNTtIDaxvk5IPnKgO8Cf9azIloLi0xx9sORNwoIHN-xBoGASg~3KrTWfbJok6Pqd5rhQpGCybvzrI3Amla4RMes5Nh8OVUeCVXM09OOrsrqaM7KOxksmEzyXW0bACKUz2-GXbfJp7e7-G73BAFMM00aa1pjSCUWayAbg3mDLa2o1LSziiJowtVGzpcwCRZQM4mVt7mewdIAtIZAgTWzp6H7mn-3UcCH3CyW921gYs5Qy0cWaStHgl8ORiOkkS9wG-W6~i6YT0qFzILw31pPAzQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 officials on Feb. 11 presented midyear achievement data that shows improving interim scores in several grades but continued gaps in proficiency at middle and high school levels.

\"Tier 1 is considered effective when 80 percent of students reach mastery,\" Dr. Jonathan Brown, director of assessment and data, told the board as he reviewed curriculum-embedded (tier 1) assessments and nationally normed interim measures such as NWEA and the preACT. The district reported rising median percentiles in NWEA math for most grades compared with last winter, while reading showed mixed results by grade.

The presentation emphasized that tier 1 — district core instruction and curriculum-embedded assessments — should yield high rates of mastery if implementation is successful. Brown said elementary students showed the strongest tier-1 proficiency: \"Kindergarten and first grade students showed the highest levels of proficiency with 52 percent of monolingual students and 42 percent of dual language students averaging proficient levels,\" he said. For reading comprehension and middle-grade English language arts, the proportion meeting the district's tier-1 proficiency standard was lower: Brown reported roughly 21 percent to 45 percent at different grade bands depending on subject and grade.

At the high school level, interim preACT results indicated low proportions of students on track for ACT benchmarks: Brown reported about 29 percent on target in English, 17 percent in reading, 8 percent in math and 7 percent in science. \"If a composite score of 22 or more is desired, at this time, 12 percent of our eleventh grade students achieved that,\" he said.

Jennifer Rice De La Sanchez, director of teaching and learning, outlined district next steps focused on curriculum and instruction, including continued monthly professional development, coaching for curriculum implementation, LETRS and Orton-Gillingham training, and the creation of course assessments in the district's Illuminate platform. Rice said the district will continue monthly tier-1 site visits and coaching to build data literacy and support classroom instruction.

Board members pressed for concrete interventions tied to the data. Several members asked for a deeper high-school presentation on how the district will prepare students for the ACT transition, including more detail on ACT prep participation, summer supports for rising sixth graders and intensive reading programs for older students.

Administrators said they would return with more targeted plans. Brown and Rice framed the midyear results as baseline and diagnostic information to guide professional development, targeted interventions and adjustments in sequencing and curriculum articulation between elementary, middle and high school.","District data presented Feb. 11 shows growth on several interim and curriculum-embedded assessments, with higher proficiency in kindergarten and first grade but continued challenges in middle and high school and low percentages of students on track for ACT benchmarks.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6338875,"Board approves MOU to place GrowCommunity therapists at district wraparound center",1020,1172000,2192000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2267067-6e55a227a42491cea5fcd57e6a457a70&start=1172&end=2192","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2267067-6e55a227a42491cea5fcd57e6a457a70/thumbnail_1172000.jpg","/articles/6338875/Illinois/Board-approves-MOU-to-place-GrowCommunity-therapists-at-district-wraparound-center","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6338875-58c1d87e4b86b0ee44f8c510831d4a88/orig.mp4?Expires=1771173028&Signature=WGlV5qq8ohOzYTlfYep2I4TXUSchKdQvUDt0qn9GavJRzBRgMFi3GgEQTbks7QwrmKNTn1ynlAMY8dLKKiFyIngoaAwgKEq2SNGEMVkurZvkyfOSs4i8qzLmgeSZtBe7bcbpuC8wu~mf5u7G2OH-QRD-ALERuYQk6gtUUgedNBZIgHByj8ruu7xIqNKtQpysbpd34~Kng7qfIW~pJFgslBfGlV36Ntqb6NoMNEzTq0r~gJjdr49Rssha9VN6JcuUv42OfZwSFA6WaUBH6j9qAi8I6kuznGG72Z1rSaARr5qg3~gmCzNIVN6cMtS0PVXzOqjGs73dY93ZmRXUILWdNw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 Board of Education on Feb. 11 voted to authorize the superintendent to enter a memorandum of understanding with GrowCommunity to provide appointment-based mental-health services at the district's wraparound center.

The MOU, recommended by district administration, cleared the board after representatives from GrowCommunity described their program and how referrals would be handled. \"I just love the fact that we get the opportunity to work with the wraparound center and being able to just provide that resource for our young men here in Waukegan,\" said Rashaad Media, regional state director for GrowCommunity.

The agreement matters because the wraparound center is intended to be a hub for behavioral and social supports for students and families. Bridget Dodson, identified in the meeting as director of the wraparound center, told the board that district staff already have students waiting for services and that the district planned to use its existing referral system to connect students with GrowCommunity. \"They have their outreach already in place,\" Dodson said.

GrowCommunity representatives described the scope and methods of their services during the meeting. Jamin Barconia, a therapeutic mentor with the organization, said GrowCommunity focuses on cognitive behavioral and problem-solution therapies and provides one-on-one mentorship and community-based sessions. \"Therapy could be conducted at a park. Therapy could be conducted at a nature preserve,\" Barconia said. Therapist Elvis Stillett added that the group aims to provide services both inside and outside schools: \"We are prepared to provide services to our boys and men, not just in the school system, but the entire community.\"

Board members asked about staffing, scheduling and how the agency will recruit and sustain clinicians. Media and Barconia said GrowCommunity currently has two therapists in Waukegan and a regional supervisor; the organization said it expects to scale staffing to meet demand and to prioritize culturally responsive clinicians who speak Spanish. Dodson confirmed the district and GrowCommunity would coordinate whether clinicians work on-site at the wraparound center, in specific schools or a mixture of both.

The board motion to authorize the superintendent to execute the MOU passed on a roll call vote. The MOU describes GrowCommunity providing space at the wraparound center for appointment-based mental-health services and using the district's referral process; the document as presented at the meeting did not specify a fiscal impact.

Representatives said the services are intended to reach young men and boys who have historically been underserved, though GrowCommunity said its services are available to the broader student population. The organization also highlighted community supports such as resume-building and career-exploration programs linked to its therapeutic work.

The board approved the MOU in the same meeting that it discussed other district contracts and capital items. District and GrowCommunity staff said they would return with operational details — including scheduling, referral workflows and any program metrics — as implementation proceeds.","The Waukegan school board on Feb. 11 authorized a memorandum of understanding with GrowCommunity to provide appointment-based mental-health services at the district's wraparound center, approving a plan to refer students to the nonprofit's clinicians and to expand services as demand grows.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board actions: MOU with GrowCommunity, retroactive change order, working-cash abatement, personnel and disciplinary items

District presents midyear assessment data showing gains in early grades, mixed results later

Board approves MOU to place GrowCommunity therapists at district wraparound center