[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-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],{"_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",5983650,"mediaKeyId","5766209-8ee8faac23c18d62743dd92055a99f05","parentId",5766209,"title","Board reviews proposal for attendance‑boundary study after influx of newcomers at some schools","audioSeconds",1033,"startMs",4992000,"endMs",6025000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5766209-8ee8faac23c18d62743dd92055a99f05&start=4992&end=6025","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5766209-8ee8faac23c18d62743dd92055a99f05/thumbnail_4992000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/5983650/Illinois/Board-reviews-proposal-for-attendanceboundary-study-after-influx-of-newcomers-at-some-schools","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5983650-af080145448c36bd41425e8a32f3dfb3/orig.mp4?Expires=1775486205&Signature=lunDqExLs9oYUbh02vWrBqEYx6Cfz8JIWDXY8EjQ7YbtFUBoiKLjrdfZ7o~ten-dE2RWyWLT2yzN45Xc3-Ee850fVifPYm0AmZPynLY~uV6JPojt~o4zWBqB8zqKEqcd5cfz0-TWNEsjI-vDux8jKMrvrL~24GoDxaHT2h9UO6cVbiIzoyC7dHh7Buh2ELektiz~AuA91v-J3ZypSCcNFV0eAlLJewlC-SaAf5nIC3Dgqp0vMj2cHbY0wXPBA9qy1B3yeA5FQcOJNlJscpLJ00STfjfQGiuc0XZcwIy~eL4YZSUMFihy2rXxlPBNfgZ-aor4FaSntSr1pYewo1gU6g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","CCSD 62","date","2025-09-16T02:04:46Z","article","Board members discussed a proposal Sept. 15 to commission an external demographic and boundary analysis after unexpected enrollment shifts at some schools and long-standing equity questions about school capacities.

District staff said the boundary study is part of the district's ongoing strategic planning around space utilization and class‑size equity. They recommended Wolpert, a national consulting firm, and a lead consultant named Anne Hoffsis. Staff said the proposal received Friday showed a fee of $77,000 for services that include capacity calculations, enrollment projections and attendance‑boundary analysis; staff asked the board for time to provide the contract and more detail before any vote.

Administrators told the board the immediate trigger is an unusually large number of newcomers concentrated at North and Central schools. Staff said North's newcomer counts rose substantially and that, even after earlier projections, enrollment continued to change at the start of the school year. The district also noted that prior boundary discussions were more than two decades earlier and that changing community housing patterns—condo/apartment conversions and turn‑over in the downtown area—make updated demographic analysis useful.

Board members asked about data sources and cost; staff said they will use existing Caserta demographic survey data and provide Wolpert with the district’s data. Several directors emphasized the need to ensure pedestrian crossings, rail lines and safety‑of‑travel issues are included in any boundary recommendations.

No contracting action was taken Sept. 15; staff said they would return with the full agreement and a request for approval once board members had time to review the scope and fee.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","9-15-25 - District 62 Board of Education","oneSentenceSummary","District leaders presented a proposal Sept. 15 to hire a demographer to analyze enrollment, capacity and attendance boundaries; the firm Wolpert provided a $77,000 estimate for capacity calculations, enrollment projections and boundary analysis.","taxTitle","CCSD 62, School Boards, Illinois","taxId",56874,"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},5983657,"District explains shift to i‑Ready diagnostic for reading and math; schools to send parent reports this month",728,3017000,3745000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5766209-8ee8faac23c18d62743dd92055a99f05&start=3017&end=3745","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5766209-8ee8faac23c18d62743dd92055a99f05/thumbnail_3017000.jpg","/articles/5983657/Illinois/District-explains-shift-to-iReady-diagnostic-for-reading-and-math-schools-to-send-parent-reports-this-month","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5983657-d287dac481e38e25ab60cbb7af7a4954/orig.mp4?Expires=1775486205&Signature=C3h1Bs5Ka8jqPGcBBBJYJUP7BHRpF9H8Ls16~ErrPaBS9QqOMV-1Ue67Ftm7KibP7oVdt4vvlq-l~w3xbvUZWchFt0soplCy4dd44kQ5eTYlOJFhU8LhcpIBm81mpWnV8YnlfY~9eFWSO4fsctapJhepCg8waCjw9Hg3zp9GecrnYeKuf-42Gkn4c21xCA~Rl1vyDqTi9qpEKmOzrANUG9usWYYcL31E220Ki8ZFU0cOTatfHEkP~NIOBc8KTugKEEwY-GB2Dw~AdWJM0doTxHNlLlv0Ji1xa3eMaD7Auvrq7kSHh3oW5NUFPwaNme2gknzhTONzMF0qjzVzxxzNqg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","District curriculum staff briefed the board Sept. 15 on the district’s transition to the i‑Ready diagnostic for reading and math benchmarking and how staff and families will receive and use the data.

Chrissy Bowman, curriculum coordinator and data specialist, said the district moved to i‑Ready to align diagnostic items more closely with the Illinois learning standards and to provide grade‑level proficiency indicators rather than only national percentiles. \"With this data from iReady, we are also able to report out not just percentile... but also grade level proficiency,\" Bowman said. She explained the diagnostic provides an overall score, grade‑level placement, domain breakdowns and growth measures labeled \"typical\" and \"stretch.\"

A second presenter, a district curriculum staff member, described how teachers will use the data for instructional planning, small‑group lessons and individualized learning pathways that i‑Ready generates after the diagnostic. The staff member said the program offers teacher resources and that students receive personalized online practice aligned to identified needs.

Curriculum staff said parents will receive a paper family report after the fall benchmark this month; the family report includes student performance, domain breakdowns and suggested target skills and links to a public i‑Ready Family Center with translatable materials. Staff also said initial districtwide benchmarking using i‑Ready showed a slight dip in scores relative to the prior MAP benchmark results but said the pattern aligns more closely with state assessment trends.

Board members asked about grade bands covered (Bowman said reading and math only), whether historical data would appear on parent growth reports (staff said this year parents will receive fall/winter/spring comparisons going forward and teachers retain historical data), and distribution logistics (staff said buildings will send paper copies home and can supply digital copies on request; families can also access parent materials through the i‑Ready Family Center link on the district website).","Curriculum staff told the board Sept. 15 the district has moved benchmarking to i‑Ready for reading and math, described how teachers will use the diagnostic and individualized learning pathways, and said family reports will be mailed to parents later this month.",{"_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},5983663,"Board approves Iroquois construction bids and staff outlines districtwide kindergarten‑related construction costs",346,4033000,4379000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5766209-8ee8faac23c18d62743dd92055a99f05&start=4033&end=4379","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5766209-8ee8faac23c18d62743dd92055a99f05/thumbnail_4033000.jpg","/articles/5983663/Illinois/Board-approves-Iroquois-construction-bids-and-staff-outlines-districtwide-kindergartenrelated-construction-costs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5983663-c79ec94915e0bc24b53d696227002940/orig.mp4?Expires=1775486205&Signature=oOomjTjvcgmE4vRQqrKCrzt1rL9dDyDu6YyNR0pIicP3Ka~fFQuJnCdT2sTARqQ90MIYCtmLU24oywWySevLZ7FezzO3y~3XYFUa8jFIfS5~Rh39flx3Q7TfH6NjxXlxifNDG70i3gfxazZrzF7d8LTU0cqeDWmMCAxPaR9VhaoBq6yHgnoh9hQo5O29ppyGFaqppNQrmb03RfokRPqp-NNd-HUdyn18JntrVK3m5ymM5QqiaI1P06dbW-AKLpUhAXDKbd5jqiDR5sP3tcPr-nT5gfmVRkZJ0gYpmOxKtX3wOdkL1MHzlL2C~RtfL4Yjrue67OIFanrCsCvXkyyrhA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Board of Education approved construction bid awards for Iroquois Community School and received a districtwide breakdown of costs tied to implementing full‑day kindergarten during the Sept. 15 meeting.

District staff said bids for Iroquois were opened after the August board meeting and that the total of trade bids was roughly $1.45 million; Pepper Construction reviewed bidders for responsibility and timeline capability. \"We want people who can perform and do the work, to the quality that we expect it to be done,\" a staff member said. Staff presented a project work order and an overall estimate including construction management and contingencies of about $2,206,481.

Board members moved and passed a resolution approving the Iroquois bid results (motion language in the packet cited a bid total of $1,448,654) and the project work order number 2 with the final estimated cost of $2,206,481; roll call recorded the vote as aye from Duckman, Garrett, Gehring, Masa, Morley and Abadam.

Staff described the planned schedule: mobilization was expected to begin the week after approval with site staging beginning as early as Wednesday, Sept. 17, and plans showing \"substantial completion\" no later than March 17, 2026, with the district hoping to finish earlier if possible. The work is not an addition to the building footprint, staff said; rather, it reclaims and reconfigures existing spaces (locker/shower areas, offices and other spaces) to create kindergarten‑appropriate classrooms and support spaces and to make other long‑deferred facility improvements.

Separately, district estimating staff and Pepper Construction presented a districtwide review of direct kindergarten costs, indirect kindergarten costs (work triggered by kindergarten that is not in kindergarten rooms but is needed for building efficiency or staff accommodations), and other construction. The estimator said approximately 96% of the planned work across sites was either directly or indirectly related to the kindergarten program and about 4% ($1.7 million in the estimate) was categorized as \"other\" construction.

Board members discussed the trade‑offs of combining necessary facility upgrades with work required for kindergarten and noted the exercise helped surface items such as staff bathrooms, nursing/mothering rooms, and reconfigured specialist/PE spaces that would benefit from being done while crews are mobilized. Staff and the estimating team said the district tried to separate items so the board could see which costs would be strictly kindergarten‑related and which were additional but opportunistic improvements.

The board approved the bid awards and project work order and asked staff to monitor schedules and contractor performance as the work proceeds.","During the Sept. 15 meeting, staff presented bid results and a district cost analysis for in‑building work tied to implementing full‑day kindergarten; the board approved Iroquois Community School bid awards and a project work order.",{"_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},5983668,"Board adopts $165.8 million fiscal 2026 budget after public hearing on operating deficit and construction spending",4663,347000,5010000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5766209-8ee8faac23c18d62743dd92055a99f05&start=347&end=5010","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5766209-8ee8faac23c18d62743dd92055a99f05/thumbnail_347000.jpg","/articles/5983668/Illinois/Board-adopts-1658-million-fiscal-2026-budget-after-public-hearing-on-operating-deficit-and-construction-spending","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5983668-8e8d13293b2ed10deea3cb7716803c23/orig.mp4?Expires=1775486205&Signature=Laz8rH~b6H0Dr2wNErweXOU0-9805EPOwOPWlkXR7X6FkehC~CShi~6LL71Aw2ZCWr5BwvTQOPgLNdBfMVEWZam8jm5c9ea9AoiRuWdws6ikEnpZ~AqWbANIfeDlqIkyeMMJ5DtuG282gmD1CE4-UcofpE3BSu4QLUlTQ1CPZ4Cc307epvslGylp7VGOmvvmOnOOh9JtwlTXRJu3wicj1aQmZZAU3GhN8RKmClrHm7uFCOn80KXDNQiDRKLZljtQim5PAHDKftQbu6-8vzE9ri-VHTV-nmR-Re-aXlTUmpmyr0jSSr1VMhUH6bG8BiC~jRF-qBh631gEKhFCrjekgw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Board of Education adopted a fiscal year 2026 budget Sept. 15 that shows $165.8 million in total expenditures and $110.86 million in total revenues, leaving a planned use of fund balance tied to construction and other one-time costs. The budget was presented at a public hearing earlier in the meeting and then approved by roll call during the business session.

District staff presented the budget and explained why the operating position is in deficit. The presenter, Mr. Bertolozi (district staff), said the tentative budget approved in August was adjusted after the state increased the corporate personal property replacement tax estimate by $1,900,000. \"We did increase estimated revenues by that amount, and that is the, the only change, that we have, to the budget,\" he said. He described a structural operating deficit and additional one-time construction spending tied to implementing full‑day kindergarten.

The presentation gave the board numerical detail: the tentative budget figure of about $108.9 million in initially reported revenues was increased by $1.9 million to roughly $110.6 million; expenditures remained about $165.8 million, producing a headline deficit tied in part to planned capital work. Mr. Bertolozi said that when the district factors in $42 million for construction plus roughly $3.5 million for architect fees and about $1.25 million for construction management, the operating deficit moves from a larger figure toward an $8.2 million operating deficit after accounting for those capital amounts.

Mr. Bertolozi also stressed that the district is not alone in facing revenue pressures from the expiration of pandemic-era federal funding, lower CPI, and uncertain state support. He warned that timing of Cook County property tax collections could affect cash flow; he reported counsel had suggested county payments might arrive in November but that timing remained uncertain.

Board members and staff emphasized the district's fund balance and planned use of it. During the hearing Mr. Bertolozi stated, \"As of 06/30/2025, we had a $119,577,976.60\" fund balance and that district leaders expected to use some of those funds in the coming 12–18 months to cover full‑day kindergarten startup costs.

After presentation and discussion, the board moved to adopt the budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025. The motion passed on roll call (Garrett, Aaron, Masa, Morley, Valvano and Duckman recorded as voting aye). The board packet shows fund-level revenues and expenditures for education, transportation, IMRF, social security, tort, and other funds; total revenues were listed as $110,860,576 and total expenditures as $165,821,948 in the motion language.

The budget adoption makes the tentative budget the final adopted budget and directs staff to file required documents. District officials said they will continue deficit‑reduction planning and examine operational areas including transportation costs, health insurance procurement, staffing levels (FTEs), and potential redistricting or class‑size actions as bargaining and capital timelines proceed.

Board members and the presenter noted the difference between one‑time construction/capital spending and ongoing operating costs and emphasized the intent to protect fund balance while addressing programmatic priorities and mandated changes.","At a Sept. 15 public hearing and business meeting, district staff presented the fiscal year 2026 budget, explaining a widened operating deficit driven by one-time construction spending for full‑day kindergarten; the board approved the budget by roll call vote.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board reviews proposal for attendance‑boundary study after influx of newcomers at some schools

District explains shift to i‑Ready diagnostic for reading and math; schools to send parent reports this month

Board approves Iroquois construction bids and staff outlines districtwide kindergarten‑related construction costs

Board adopts $165.8 million fiscal 2026 budget after public hearing on operating deficit and construction spending