Elmhurst SD 205 board approves personnel report, onboarding days, student settlement and consulting agreement

The Elmhurst SD 205 Board of Education on June 30, 2025, approved four action items: a routine personnel report; up to four onboarding workdays for two incoming elementary assistant principals; a student settlement agreement that had been discussed in prior closed sessions; and a consulting agreement with the district’s interim assistant superintendent of finance and operations to support a transition to the incoming finance chief.

All four motions passed unanimously by a recorded count of 5 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent.

The personnel report, which the board approved under a single motion, covered routine human-resources transactions processed by the HR department. Mrs. Chapman moved approval of the personnel report; the motion was seconded by Ms. Hasler. The board secretary recorded 5 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent and the motion passed.

The board also approved up to four extra onboarding workdays, to be scheduled during July, for two assistant principals joining Jackson and Field elementary schools. The board was told those onboarding days would support a transition ahead of an August 4, 2025, start date and the district’s first student attendance day of August 13, 2025. The motion to approve up to four onboarding days was made by Ms. Hassleff and seconded by Ms. Hassler; the motion passed 5–0 (2 absent).

In a separate vote the board approved a student settlement agreement referred to in the minutes as for “student 25 1.” The board’s public motion noted the terms had been discussed in previous closed sessions; no additional settlement terms were read into the public record at the meeting. Mrs. Hosler moved the settlement approval; Ms. Trautman seconded. The motion passed 5–0 (2 absent).

The most-discussed action was approval of a consulting agreement with the district’s interim assistant superintendent of finance and operations, identified in meeting remarks as Mr. Datta. The board authorized “school business official coaching services” at a rate of $200 per hour for up to 200 hours, not to exceed $40,000 total, with services to be coordinated by the district and provided on an as-needed consulting basis. The time frame noted in the motion covers July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. The motion was moved by Ms. Asif and seconded by Mrs. Arvanites.

Board member Courtney (last name not specified in the meeting record) asked whether the full 200 hours were necessary and requested that district staff provide periodic updates on hours used. “I feel like we are going to have to make some difficult financial decisions coming up in the next few months. ... I would just appreciate it if you could keep the board updated, and, you know, be judicious about how we are using these hours,” Courtney said.

District leadership replied that the consulting arrangement is intended to be intermittent support focused on specific projects — for example, insurance-program work — and that Mr. Datta would not be expected to be in the office full-time. The board recorded a 5–0 vote (2 absent) to approve the contract.

Board members asked that staff provide periodic updates on the hours used under the agreement. The board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for July 29, 2025.

Votes at a glance: personnel report — approved 5–0 (2 absent); onboarding days (up to four days for two assistant principals) — approved 5–0 (2 absent); student settlement agreement for student 25 1 — approved 5–0 (2 absent); consulting agreement with interim assistant superintendent of finance and operations (Mr. Datta) — approved 5–0 (2 absent).