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Board delays MOU on after-school programming after YMCA and Boys & Girls Club request more time
Summary
Kishwaukee YMCA asked the DeKalb CUSD 428 board to postpone a vote on a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Boys & Girls Club. District staff later moved and the board approved removing the MOU from the agenda to allow further review and meetings with providers.
Brian Mickner, CEO of the Kishwaukee YMCA, told the DeKalb CUSD 428 Board of Education that the YMCA and the Boys & Girls Club asked the board to delay a vote on a proposed memorandum of understanding that would have both organizations providing after-school programming at three district sites.
The YMCA’s request came during the meeting’s public comment period. Mickner said both organizations believe the proposal “is not the best solution for the children,” that the district’s process had moved too quickly, and asked the board to table the vote for four weeks to allow more discussion between parties and with the district.
District staff later explained the item’s removal during the agenda discussion. Dr. Grisert, a district administrator, told the board the Boys & Girls Club had formally requested that the agenda item be removed so the organizations and the district could review current programming and “audit it” before moving forward. Grisert said the district intends to meet with all before- and after-school providers to clarify expectations and to create annual MOUs for any provider moving forward.
Board members asked for clearer comparisons of what each provider would offer and for public visibility of those distinctions. A board member said the district should present options so families can “pick and choose what makes sense for their family,” and staff agreed to prepare and share that information after the provider review.
At the board’s request, a formal motion was made and seconded to remove the MOU (listed on the agenda as item G) from new business. The board approved the motion by roll call; members recorded their votes in favor.
The district will continue conversations with existing providers and with the YMCA and Boys & Girls Club; staff said any future MOUs will be developed on a yearly basis and shared with the public once the review is complete.
