[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-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",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_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",6159848,"mediaKeyId","5452498-f9907de0ee161b06dcd37138c393325e","parentId",5452498,"title","Board approves extra EEC teaching assistant and short-term braille contractor","audioSeconds",481,"startMs",6395155,"endMs",6876395,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5452498-f9907de0ee161b06dcd37138c393325e&start=6395&end=6876","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5452498-f9907de0ee161b06dcd37138c393325e/thumbnail_6395155.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6159848/Illinois/Board-approves-extra-EEC-teaching-assistant-and-short-term-braille-contractor","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6159848-101327054b62b0356ef96404f1f682f3/orig.mp4?Expires=1775117508&Signature=OZ3qigEV0QBMZT4Cx4S7pX4rwP4re9IebqmrAR2VrZ46SiJ6RUkNiPKXcmAQxDe7jGUlGfGMCAHkqoA0VlSVigtUkO6sqKLWptsi9rpboL3uGCOM5KQBdPyz4zUa-Drrq8eue79jVfCkTCPPcbbcwYUltOk0tlX~W8f755FZNBXw0hJBI2GulzBeody5lagVYvhB6uDQzJpnsCsmUN-ap9QWKsGZVdcCZhEo6puywYZpcF32ZX6~sS8yBKOrXlZ50S3vcIrors3B~X-0RxutKoPOdhDwkI9kZcQ8M5sj-YmpvcBLPtyBv~5FLSP5lm0lGPok0K~9Pj3lS-OcXao-3g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Round Lake CUSD 116","date","2025-07-23T15:25:21.973Z","article","At the July 21 meeting the Round Lake Area Board of Education approved two special-education staffing items: a 1.0 full-time teaching assistant position for an instructional classroom at the Early Education Center (EEC) and a summer independent-contractor agreement for braille and assistive-technology services.
District staff told the board the EEC's instructional classroom went over capacity in recent months. Staff reconfigured space in the center of the EEC by relocating a set of offices to create an additional classroom and requested one full-time teaching assistant to staff that classroom. The position will be funded through the federal IDEA grant with an estimated annual cost of $56,339.
Administration explained that, to avoid additional classrooms, some other district instructional special-education classes will be allowed to increase their caps from previously lower levels up to 10 students with supplemental supports when necessary; administrators said the cap change would be used only as needed and that typical class sizes remain as small as possible.
Separately, the board approved a short-term independent-contractor agreement with Ahmad Michel to provide braille and assistive-technology instruction through Aug. 8 to cover summer needs; the contract amount will not exceed $3,300 and will be charged to special-education funds. District staff said that after Aug. 8 the student's services will shift to an existing Sedol contract that provides the remaining school-year services.
The motions passed by roll call: the independent-contractor agreement (motion by Mr. Jones, second by Ms. Klingler) and the addition of the 1.0 FTE teaching assistant (motion by Ms. Stewart, second by Ms. Larson).","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","07/21/2025 RLAS#116 Board of Education","oneSentenceSummary","The board approved adding 1.0 FTE teaching assistant at the Early Education Center (budgeted to the IDEA grant for $56,339) and an independent contractor agreement with Ahmad Michel for braille and assistive-technology support up to $3,300 through Aug. 8.","taxTitle","Round Lake CUSD 116, School Boards, Illinois","taxId",38548,"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},6159853,"Round Lake board approves three CDW cybersecurity contracts under FCC E‑rate pilot",613,6878510,7492445,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5452498-f9907de0ee161b06dcd37138c393325e&start=6878&end=7492","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5452498-f9907de0ee161b06dcd37138c393325e/thumbnail_6878510.jpg","/articles/6159853/Illinois/Round-Lake-board-approves-three-CDW-cybersecurity-contracts-under-FCC-Erate-pilot","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6159853-48a128b354ea0c9c634ea9082489b7ba/orig.mp4?Expires=1775117508&Signature=R9ZN08y1kENAHJM-KMrXMi4b8eiyjHbf7pjY6QNnt~ReprQUU2qaKhrBY03Z-8qW865wLbajna~--Y0kQMq7ucIwAwkbIO04-7-AWIdU-FmnSBaK9R7nNpg27QZyt1KntzEN0J2TIrJVm80RIXQZOtwxWBmmk~0xJMdoHRbg8F6q272vFtwYFUQ~SUAhHHRru7eqr8iWrqR9JuvOJJshd897YW-dgNaKt93M9s52fXzuxkK5S0jYnzaRcmdgxZYvi55zowiR74mt0adxdHAjEeuMXde0jVf1C2UH5QbOHM1eAg-cG~Si9h31t8RFcvoQQTrAGpKJLurTrP5DSusXzw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the July 21 meeting the Round Lake Area Board of Education approved three district agreements with CDW to implement cybersecurity tools paid largely through the FCC's cybersecurity pilot under the federal E‑rate program.
District officials said the district was awarded $268,301 in pilot funding and that the three agreements carry 90% reimbursement. The contracts and district shares cited in board discussion were: Panorama centralized firewall management (three-year total $15,000; district share $1,500), Abnormal email security (three-year total $101,250; district share $10,125), and Palo Alto Cortex XDR endpoint detection (two-year total $129,685; district share $12,968.50).
Technology staff credited the grant for enabling the district to adopt higher-impact tools with a smaller local share. Hermes Mondragon, who helped secure the award, explained the benefits of centralized firewall administration, targeted email threat detection and an endpoint detection-and-response platform for blocking sophisticated phishing and account-takeover threats.
Board member Kozak asked about the risk of federal funding being later reduced or reclaimed. District technology staff responded that administration would revisit vendor agreements and use district technology budgets to cover any shortfalls if reimbursement changed: \"At that time, we would revisit it with our partner, CDW, to find out what, if anything, we can do to either get under the agreement,\" the technology staff member said.
The board approved all three contracts by roll call: Panorama (motion by Mr. Jones, second by Ms. Klingler; approved), Abnormal email security (motion by Ms. Klingler, second by Mr. Jewett; approved), and Cortex XDR (motion by Mr. Jones, second by Ms. Clamner; approved). No board member voted against the measures.
Why this matters: district officials said the tools strengthen defenses against increasingly sophisticated email and endpoint threats while leveraging federal pilot funding; they also noted the district share is modest but would be covered out of the technology budget if reimbursements change.","The board approved three CDW contracts to implement Palo Alto Panorama, Abnormal email security and Cortex XDR under the FCC cybersecurity pilot, with 90% reimbursement; district staff said the funding reduces local cost but acknowledged contingent federal funding risk.",{"_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},6159857,"Round Lake athletic director reports steady participation; baseball, soccer and track post milestones",44,512755,557560,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5452498-f9907de0ee161b06dcd37138c393325e&start=512&end=557","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5452498-f9907de0ee161b06dcd37138c393325e/thumbnail_512755.jpg","/articles/6159857/Illinois/Round-Lake-athletic-director-reports-steady-participation-baseball-soccer-and-track-post-milestones","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6159857-1d8b563a0171871abddca03c10fbb604/orig.mp4?Expires=1775117508&Signature=ckRnwySijN1JJTV8z8QdVNqQqqBdvPSeBJ8Hbc~LZ3ZW7yAQZT2k7GQawAMTqZZ8-60Ie11yKBxrMZUsaP5cwvhj-apjQmzWDwS9nqyH~FHGpWuu1McPTlo3V6CCwN0NeZ4qFHvq9OQ-C6B4GuTi2UMgjQ6Cqw1hoaKFehLkQVCBsHZifrgozL6ukX7S6GdM~~t9krls0soN4HwGGh8ucRlLwvl9A7EmdgI8b1Hsy5B-g9XZs0UHf9LN75G7dXO095KFrkgHtXyGf6fgazwLg9STEMNHwzCZS0NIZUBYzDdOkBoLVsblrwvjxAUUjYHTPlF4i6U~Ts0WOjXYz8qjFw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Round Lake Area Board of Education received a spring athletics report on July 21 from athletic director Mr. Karolczak, who said participation across spring sports has held largely steady since 2021 and highlighted team and individual achievements.
Karolczak and coaches spotlighted several items: Javier (Javi) Rolon was recognized as May male athlete of the month after a season in which coaches said he batted near .400 and hit four home runs in May. Mike Mostolsky, the head boys baseball coach, said: \"Javi was a phenomenal player this year, not just the month of May, but for the whole season.\" Mostolsky called Rolon a leader and noted Rolon's contribution on the mound and at the plate.
The director noted baseball recorded its most wins in a season in several years and that the program's summer league and fund-raising will allow the team to purchase additional gear. Girls soccer, under new head coach Hugo Toles, played a tougher schedule and produced all-conference performers including Annalee Deanda and Alexa Vega. Softball reported its most wins since 2017 and a team effort to keep all roster members academically eligible for every week of the season.
Track and field coaches emphasized new training tools and accountability, including laser timing chips and published practice results; several sprinters recorded personal records and both middle-school and high-school track programs hosted county and sectional meets. Boys volleyball continued to grow: the program fielded its largest roster in program history with a strong freshman class and earned its first varsity conference win.
Board members asked about participation trends: the largest year-over-year drop was in boys track and field, and Karolczak said anecdotal reasons included raised training expectations and a more demanding program. He added retention was high once the season began.
No board action was required; the report was informational.","Athletic director Karolczak told the board spring-sport participation has held steady since 2021, highlighted athlete-of-the-month honorees and described program developments in baseball, girls soccer, softball, track and boys volleyball.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6159862,"Community members press Round Lake board for clarity on ICE protocol and student protections",372,5664000,6036025,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5452498-f9907de0ee161b06dcd37138c393325e&start=5664&end=6036","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5452498-f9907de0ee161b06dcd37138c393325e/thumbnail_5664000.jpg","/articles/6159862/Illinois/Community-members-press-Round-Lake-board-for-clarity-on-ICE-protocol-and-student-protections","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6159862-26ae3469d19608da081e3ba9b874fa4b/orig.mp4?Expires=1775117508&Signature=H9KpAaFHCLiLGGokE0hWREJJxb8FeA8CB5fTxi7Q4eql8nXpbr2vu2HaXr2AZsNZ0vSXfXsfdVRYlhFDKX7b4DJXC4WmxZkHDY3IbjC-SYJmEl9Qd0VecfXV6QpV9h2VcxXmVAO4~Vr-~1rkWlAo5y2XeOfFPC~ww2ryqboeyKfkRwqnx3WyE5AUz1rq4zO9JMJ9pf~wveIUJ1hVbkb7JtAOZxOVL-txRHtC0hwTC49FxxYKTEZRHRy4JHrr~NjUmCy9ppHFFoXtOV6SOe0hJrbf8s6GP6omJlhFeD27IWFix5A5SIZoQ3WTdGI~8liEwzwjkxE46cZwUm4wRVFBMw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the July 21 meeting, community members raised questions about the district's ICE response protocol and the protections in place for students and families if immigration enforcement appears on campus.
Maria Ruiz Montoya asked whether U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents may come onto school property \"without a judicial warrant,\" whether agents could interview students, and whether students would be informed of their rights. She said community members fear aggressive actions and racial profiling and asked specifically, \"are ICE agents allowed on the premise without a judicial warrant?\"
Deputy Bennett told the speakers the administration would document the questions and follow up: \"We're going to document them and... somebody on the team will call you tomorrow morning,\" and the board indicated it would provide a written summary of the responses to the full board.
Araceli Mena, who also spoke at the public-comment period, asked what the district is doing across all schools to ensure students feel safe in light of increased ICE activity and whether families will be informed about steps to protect themselves and their children. She asked whether schools would provide materials to inform students and parents of their rights, including guidance on when to remain silent and how to seek legal or community resources.
District leaders said two staff members would contact the speakers, with deputy Bennett handling immediate follow-up and a curriculum or student-services official available for questions about how protections apply by age and program. Board members asked for the administration to provide a written response to the full board. No board action or vote was taken during public comment.","Two community members asked how the district will enforce an ICE response protocol, whether agents may enter campuses without judicial warrants and how students and families will be informed of their rights; district staff promised follow-up and a written summary.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6159867,"Round Lake reports K–8 I‑Ready gains; four schools meet typical growth benchmarks",2090,941205,3031225,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5452498-f9907de0ee161b06dcd37138c393325e&start=941&end=3031","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5452498-f9907de0ee161b06dcd37138c393325e/thumbnail_941205.jpg","/articles/6159867/Illinois/Round-Lake-reports-K8-IReady-gains-four-schools-meet-typical-growth-benchmarks","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6159867-f257fb164c1d48885ecfc1c25def2d3f/orig.mp4?Expires=1775117508&Signature=klxGp7XhJkZgjZDJFxlhvknblpye1hu41ovxyXaLtzvlgQit4yEPpn9-hc6MtYCwF1-Nb9KHwjGMu76ca3O9g4I~zBGEe8bZ-zGj3xl5HGHwEmS7tNSZ1xhwGVzudK41Oc45i~PvxDeO3KWHdq6clfbkQBP3iS1QewTZClYCJHgf~PLrg14NgCoHuee4B8tyBIJdsiFGARz5sUV-0ZpyUC-e0G0m-ZcivGGrIJ2lIu4MAtn6FlDDS1K9CMFNpF9dA5TkYKeNO0SKUEgfCfENYjemjeb7ok4JYgqb-OR8Om~SxJWqX~BCND2gRrODIxC-eM74V2Kry0qxjfk6WIUUCw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At its July 21 meeting, the Round Lake Area Board of Education heard a district report showing measurable fall-to-spring improvement on the I‑Ready adaptive reading and math assessments for students in kindergarten through eighth grade.
The presentation, led by district assessment staff, summarized three main measures used by the district: grade-level placement, annual typical growth and annual stretch growth, and showed that four of seven K–8 schools met or exceeded I‑Ready's typical growth benchmark in reading and four of seven met it in math.
Casey, a district presenter, said: \"Typically, 50% of students are expected to make their annual typical growth in a given school year,\" explaining how the median progress metric is used to assess a school's year-over-year performance. District staff noted that 25 to 35% of students nationally meet the more ambitious I‑Ready stretch growth target.
Administrators highlighted several local results. Districtwide, the percentage of elementary students scoring in I‑Ready's mid-grade-or-above placement band rose 13 percentage points in both reading and math from fall to spring; the share of students two or more grade levels below dropped 18 points in reading and 25 points in math. At the kindergarten dual-language level, the district reported unusually strong spring placements: 57% at Beach, 64% at Murphy and 57% at Ellis were performing at grade-level placement in Spanish reading.
Dr. Stefan, who led portions of the presentation, called out the dual-language kindergarten results: \"Kudos definitely need to be given to our dual language kindergarten classroom teachers,\" and said the outcome exceeded typical dual-language expectations.
Board members pressed for clarity on interpretation. Board member Jewett summarized the point for lay listeners, saying the growth metrics compare students to expected progress from their fall starting points rather than absolute placement: \"To your point, the growth is actually compared to where the starting point is.\"
District staff described next steps: continued rollout of new curricular adoptions at middle school (math and social studies), implementation of instructional coaching at the elementary level to support newly adopted curricula, and targeted work with principals to replicate effective special-education co-teaching practices where students with disabilities showed strong median growth at some schools.
Why this matters: the district said I‑Ready placement in the green band correlates with better performance on the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) and framed the gains as early evidence that recent curriculum investments and instructional changes are producing measurable student progress.
The board did not take formal action on the presentation itself; members were invited to request a follow-up IAR and state-report-card briefing in the fall when state assessment results are available.","District staff reported fall-to-spring improvements on I‑Ready reading and math placements across kindergarten through eighth grade, with four of seven K–8 schools meeting I‑Ready's typical growth target and early dual-language kindergarten results flagged as unusually strong.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board approves extra EEC teaching assistant and short-term braille contractor

Round Lake board approves three CDW cybersecurity contracts under FCC E‑rate pilot

Round Lake athletic director reports steady participation; baseball, soccer and track post milestones

Community members press Round Lake board for clarity on ICE protocol and student protections

Round Lake reports K–8 I‑Ready gains; four schools meet typical growth benchmarks