John Jay Elementary School - Board Update 4/9/25

Board Update 4/9/25

Agenda

Board recognition/presentation

Agenda Item 4.0

NSSEO FY26 Tentative Budget – 4.01

NSSEO presented the budget for the 2025–2026 school year, which includes the expected costs for CCSD59. Overall, there will be an increase of about $290,000 due to more students enrolling and higher student tuition. These numbers are estimates and may change depending on how many students actually attend NSSEO from CCSD59.

For more information, you can watch the full presentation here.

Early Learning Update – 4.02

The Early Learning Update presentation focused on introducing the early childhood programs CCSD59 offers at the Early Learning Center (ELC) and Ridge Family Center for Learning (Ridge). It covered the early intervention process, recent updates at both sites, and ideas for the future.

Highlights include:

CCSD59’s early childhood program has several parts and serves students in Special Education, Preschool for All, and Tuition-based Students
There are 401 children across the two sites (ELC and Ridge) – the highest number of early childhood students CCSD59 has ever served.
The district connects with families through the website, word of mouth, staff outreach, preschool info nights at local libraries, and more.
Screenings for eligible children are held each year in August and January.
Ridge is a K-5 building that recently reopened pre-k classrooms. This included updates to improve accessibility in classrooms, the building, and the playground.
There was also discussion around what would be required for exploration of a full-day Preschool for All program and how those considerations will be a part of the long-range facilities planning process.

You can view the full presentation here and watch it here.

superintendent reports

Agenda Item 5.0

Monthly Updates – 5.01

Superintendent Bresnahan gave updates on different projects happening across the District. Here are some of the key highlights:

Long-Range Facilities Planning
- The District is starting the planning process for future facility needs.
- The official kickoff will happen at the beginning of next school year.
- Information about how to join the Long-Range Facilities Planning Committee will be shared in the coming months.
- A Demographic and Enrollment Study is currently in progress.
Title VI and DEI
- The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) in a letter to the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) asked all school districts to sign a letter promising not to violate Title VI, including not implementing anything related to Diversity, Equit, and Inclusion (DEI).
- CCSD59 has not received anything directly from the DOE. We are working with our legal team and the State Board of Education to understand next steps. A letter from the State Superintendent was sent on behalf of ISBE.
5Essentials Survey
- The state-required survey has officially closed and had a 98% response rate from students in grades 4-8, 88% from staff, and 30% from parents.
Other Updates
- The next Safety and Discipline Committee meeting is on May 7 at 6:00 p.m. Families are welcome to attend. The meeting will focus on our School Resource Officer (SRO) program.
- The District is continuing to test new student devices in classrooms. A recommendation will ideally be brought to the Board in May for approval.

For additional information and to view the full presentation, please click here.

Strategic Plan Refresher – 5.02

The Board of Education talked about updating and continuing the five-year Strategic Plan, which is now in its fourth year. The Board plans to hold a few workshops to review and refresh the plan.

You can view the discussion here.

action items

Agenda Item 7.0

Approval of Closing Date for the 2024-2025 School Team – 7.01

Each year, the Board of Education chooses the last day of school and the final calendar for the next school year. Based on calendar days completed to date, the Administration suggests that Monday, June 2, 2025, should be the last day for both students and staff.

The Board approves the final calendar which includes June 2, 2025 as the last day for students in staff for the upcoming school year

Proclamation for Volunteer Appreciation Week – 7.02

Volunteer appreciation week is April 21-21, 2025.

The Board approves Public School Volunteer Appreciation Week within our District to thank the volunteers who helped in our schools during the 2024–2025 school year. Their work supports our students, staff, and community.

Proclamation for Staff Appreciation Week – 7.03

Staff appreciation week, which is the same time as National Teacher Appreciation Week, is May 5-9, 2025. This is a time to increase community understanding, appreciation and support of our nation’s schools.

The Board approves recognizing and celebrating our District staff as part of National Teacher Appreciation Week.

Approval of Mobile Units at John Jay Elementary School – 7.04

The District is asking the Board to approve temporary use of space for John Jay Elementary School. This helps plan for future classroom space through building updates or changes.

The Board approves the use of mobile units.

Approval of District 59 Education Foundation Donation – 7.05

The District 59 Education Foundation would like to donate a total of $7,770. The breakdown is $2,270 to three (3) CCSD59 schools and $500 to each CCSD59 Elementary School totalling $5,500.

The Board approves the donation in the amount of $7,770.

discussion items

Agenda Item 8.0

Food Service Contract – 8.01

The District has completed the first year of a new contract with our food service provider, Organic Life. The District has an option to renew yearly, that should not exceed four additional one-year extensions. The administration recommends renewing the contract with a 2.9% increase. The Board will take action on this agreement at a future meeting.