Board approves consent items, personnel actions and expulsion modification; ratifies April payments

The Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 Board of Education on April 8 approved a package of consent agenda items, personnel recommendations and district payments and voted to concur with a superintendent‑recommended modification to a mandatory expulsion.

The actions were taken by roll call after routine motions to approve minutes, consent items, personnel schedules and financial reports. The board also adopted a resolution modifying a mandatory expulsion required under the school code for a student identified in the district documents as student number 015, reducing the expulsion to a five‑day out‑of‑school suspension with an individualized safety plan.

Board members approved minutes from the district’s February 25, March 11 and March 18 open sessions. The consent agenda (items 10a–10n and related operations items) included multiple curriculum renewals and purchases: renewals of core phonics materials for grades 3–5, curriculum‑embedded coaching for grades 3–5, Everyday Math materials (K–5), DreamBox (K–5), an updated intergovernmental agreement for a college and career navigator at Washington Campus, consumable ESL materials (grades 9–12), Spanish language arts materials (grades 6–12), Chromebook purchases for Cristo Rey Saint Martin College Prep, PowerSchool evaluation platform renewal for 2025–26, E‑Rate network fiber and cable projects, Sophos antivirus renewal, Gaggle and Nutanix contract renewals, and other listed renewals and purchases. The consent motion was moved by Mister Riddle and seconded by Miss Fabian and carried on a roll‑call vote with all members voting in the affirmative.

The board approved additional operations and construction pay applications and renewals (item 11 series) and approved personnel recommendations on schedules F1002, L949, T317 and G660 (item 13a), including appointments, retirements, retirement extensions, resignations and terminations. The personnel motion was moved by Miss Riddle and seconded by Miss Gonzales and carried on roll call. Appointments announced in open session included Tobias Huey as a culture and climate specialist at Washington Campus (starting salary listed as $60,000) and Melissa Howlett as deputy general counsel (starting salary listed as $165,000); those appointments were part of the personnel schedules presented to the board.

On financial matters, the board ratified the first April 2025 processing of board bills, manual check requests and Old National Bank insurance payments for the period March 5–April 1, 2025. The administration reported accounts payable board payments of $3,745,188.03, manual check request payments of $1,755,556.81 and Old National Bank insurance payments of $906,325.90. The motion to ratify the financial reports was moved by Mister Riddle and seconded by Miss Gonzales and carried on roll call.

On a disciplinary matter, the board considered a resolution regarding student number 015. The resolution, read into the record by Mister Riddle, stated that a building‑level investigation found the student possessed a weapon at school, triggering a mandatory referral for expulsion under the school code. The superintendent had recommended modifying the mandatory minimum expulsion period; the board “concurs with the superintendent's modification of the mandatory minimum expulsion period to 5 days out of school suspension, the days having been served, a board reprimand, and an individualized safety plan.” The motion to approve the resolution was made by Miss Bridal and seconded by Miss Lindsey; the motion carried by voice/roll call.

Votes at a glance (motions explicitly recorded in the transcript): - Approve minutes (02/25/2025, 03/11/2025, 03/18/2025) — Motion(s) carried (movers/second varied as recorded). - Approve Consent Agenda items 10a–10n (curriculum renewals, Chromebook purchase for Cristo Rey Saint Martin College Prep, E‑Rate network projects, software renewals, etc.) — Motion by Mister Riddle; seconded by Miss Fabian; approved on roll call. - Approve Operations consent items (11a–11g) including fleet vehicles purchase and campus security camera work — approved as part of consent motions recorded in open session. - Approve Personnel schedules (F1002, L949, T317, G660) including appointments and resignations — Motion by Miss Riddle; seconded by Miss Gonzales; approved on roll call. - Ratify April 2025 board bills and payments (03/05/2025–04/01/2025): accounts payable $3,745,188.03; manual checks $1,755,556.81; Old National Bank insurance $906,325.90 — Motion by Mister Riddle; seconded by Miss Gonzales; approved on roll call. - Expulsion resolution for student number 015 (modification to five‑day out‑of‑school suspension, reprimand, individualized safety plan) — Motion by Miss Bridal; seconded by Miss Lindsey; approved.

The board moved into a closed session after the votes; closed‑session exceptions read at the start of the meeting included personnel and pending litigation references.

Ending: The motions approved clear several operational and instructional contracts and finalize personnel transactions and a disciplinary resolution. A full copy of the board packet and the adopted motions were referred to during the meeting record; community members may review posted board materials for item‑level details.