Proviso Twp HSD 209 reviews budget and contracts, hears concerns about Maywood TIF; school improvement team outlines instructional goals

The Proviso Township High School District 209 Board of Education met Sept. 9 and heard public comment about a proposed Maywood tax-increment financing plan, received a detailed presentation on the district's new school improvement department and instructional priorities, and considered multiple administrative and fiscal motions, including a fiscal-year 2026 budget proposal and several contract and personnel items.

Claudia Vandiver, who identified herself as an adult educator and family medicine physician and said she is a long‑term Maywood resident, told the board she is preparing materials raising community concern about a village plan to create a tax‑increment financing (TIF) district. "If Maywood doesn't pay their fair share, who's gonna pay the difference?" Vandiver said. She said the village TIF, if enacted, could prevent Maywood from contributing the same level of property‑tax revenue to Proviso Township schools for up to 23 years and that other municipalities in the township would face higher burdens. Her remarks were delivered during the public‑comment portion of the meeting.

The board received an informational presentation from Dr. Kermis, the district's deputy for school improvement, who outlined the new school improvement department's staffing and goals. Dr. Kermis described a multi‑member team responsible for aligning district systems, building leadership capacity and supporting instruction. She summarized an early instructional cycle that asks every teacher to implement learning objectives and daily formative checks and said the district's short‑term goal is for teachers to reach a level‑3 proficiency on the district guidance tool for those practices. "This is not easy work. If it was, we would have figured it out already," Dr. Kermis told the board.

Deputy Superintendent for Academics Alex Ashoff briefed the board on graduation logistics and costs, saying the district's graduation ceremony at the University of Illinois–Chicago is scheduled for May 23 and that the projected facility cost is $50,500. Ashoff said the date falls on Memorial Day weekend but that the district had worked with UIC and found that date was the available option that fits the ceremony’s needs.

In financial reports, the treasurer's update noted a delay in Cook County tax collections that had reduced early‑year revenue receipts; the treasurer said the district expects collections in October or November and reported that approximately 12% of the annual budget had been expended for the July–August period. The superintendent's office also reminded the public about district surveys, including one about a proposed $40 million sports complex at West, and about a community engagement platform the district is using called Thought Exchange for strategic‑plan input.

The meeting included motions on several consent and action items. A motion to adopt the minutes of the August board meeting was moved, seconded and carried after a roll call (votes recorded in the transcript as: Miss Stigt — aye; Mr. Ocampo — aye; Miss Lawrence — aye; Dr. Fisher — aye; Miss Barman — aye; Miss Smith — aye). Other motions on the agenda were moved and seconded (including a fiscal‑year 2026 budget motion in the amount of $9,331,148; a purchase of Spanish‑language and math textbooks from Savas for $44,128.80; approval of a revised 2024–2027 Support Staff Council collective bargaining agreement; a memorandum of understanding with TCU concerning tuition reimbursement and post‑hire advancement; and a memorandum of agreement to create a PEL school nurse position). The transcript excerpt provided does not include explicit recorded roll‑call outcomes for those specific items.

During public comment, James Watson, identifying himself as a food‑service worker at Proviso East, addressed the board on behalf of newly unionized food‑service staff and asked members to vote to approve changes to the Support Staff Council contract. "We stand here before you today to ask you to vote yes," Watson said, thanking the Support Staff Council president Shirley McGee and the Federation of Teachers for their collaboration.

Other informational items included a district compensation report for administrators and teachers presented as required by Illinois law, and an update that International Baccalaureate (IB) junior‑year courses were not running this year due to low course selection; administrators said students completing existing diploma requirements will finish this year but no new junior‑level IB courses were scheduled. The district also reported it has upgraded the phone system to provide live assistance in English and Spanish.

The board scheduled additional strategic‑plan engagement, including 50 planned stakeholder sessions and multiple surveys. Administrators described a rollout that includes district‑wide introductions, department‑level practice sessions and one‑on‑one coaching led by department chairs, with the stated near‑term objective that all teachers implement and students understand learning objectives and how mastery will be shown.

Several items were introduced as motions during the meeting. The transcript provided shows motions and seconds for those items but does not capture the full roll‑call results for each; the minutes adoption motion is the only motion in the provided excerpt with a clear recorded outcome of "motion carries." The board also received the district bill list dated 09/09/2025 in the amount of $5,323,040.47 and a personnel report dated 09/09/2025; the transcript shows motions to approve both and a request to call the roll, but explicit vote results were not included in the excerpt.

Looking ahead, administrators said the board will review a proposed senior‑expectations item next month for alignment across buildings and that community events including the "Bridge the Gap" parade and school homecomings will take place in coming weeks.

Votes at a glance (as recorded in the provided transcript excerpt) • Adopt August minutes — result: approved (roll call recorded; "Motion carries"). • Fiscal‑year 2026 budget, $9,331,148 — motion moved and seconded; vote outcome not specified in provided transcript excerpt. • Purchase: Spanish‑language & math textbooks from Savas, $44,128.80 — motion moved and seconded; outcome not specified in provided excerpt. • Revised 2024–2027 Support Staff Council collective bargaining agreement — motion moved and seconded; transcript shows related public comment urging approval; outcome not specified in provided excerpt. • MOU with TCU re: tuition reimbursement — motion moved and seconded; outcome not specified in provided excerpt. • MOA to create PEL school nurse position — motion moved and seconded; outcome not specified in provided excerpt. • Bill list dated 09/09/2025, $5,323,040.47 — motion moved and seconded; outcome not specified in provided excerpt. • Personnel report dated 09/09/2025 — motion moved and seconded; outcome not specified in provided excerpt.

The board's discussion emphasized instructional coherence, measurable short‑term targets for classroom practice, and district efforts to gather broad community input for a five‑year strategic plan. Public commenters raised funding and labor concerns. The transcript excerpt does not show final votes for most action items; official outcomes should be confirmed in the board's posted minutes or by contacting district administration.