Aurora East USD 131 superintendent highlights student media, meet-and-greets and upcoming Fine Arts Festival

Board President Johnson and members of the Aurora East USD 131 Board of Education heard district updates at the regular meeting, including a student-led media initiative, a calendar of upcoming events and the superintendent's community listening tour.

Superintendent Dr. Halverson opened the communications portion by thanking the board and the East Aurora community and by presenting the student board member report. He said March featured "student innovation, community feedback, and continued growth," and highlighted the launch of Town Cat News, a student-led broadcast produced largely at the Resilience Education Center.

"From filming to editing, students led every step of the process," Dr. Halverson said. Clips played for the board included student segments on arts projects and campus life; one student in the broadcast closed with, "Remember, once a Tomcat, always a Tomcat."

In other student news presented to the board, the superintendent noted strong participation in the district's 5Essentials survey: responses came from 91% of teachers, 88% of students and more than 20% of parents. Because parent participation met the threshold, Dr. Halverson said the district will post and review parent feedback on the district website.

Dr. Halverson also described a pilot plan to create a "safe space" during lunch for students, particularly newcomers, intended to help them build connections and feel supported. He said the district hopes to launch the initiative by the end of the school year.

The superintendent announced the Fine Arts Festival will be held April 26 at East Aurora High School from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Art displays from elementary through high school students will be showcased; the band is scheduled to perform at 9 a.m. and the choir at 10:30 a.m., with a possible theater performance at noon. The event will include family-friendly activities such as face painting and make-and-take projects.

In a separate community relations report, the board recognized student board member Kevin Martinez, who was awarded a Coca-Cola Scholars Program scholarship. The district noted Martinez is a senior at East Aurora High School, serves as a student leader and recently returned from the Coca-Cola Scholars Leadership Development Institute. "Kevin was recently awarded the Coca Cola scholarship," the presenter said, noting the national competition selects roughly 150 scholars from thousands of applicants.

Dr. Halverson closed by thanking teachers, support staff and administrators for their work supporting students.

The superintendent also briefed the board on ongoing meet-and-greets with parents, staff and principals, describing conversations with the Bilingual Parent Association and other parent groups. He said he has held a majority of planned cabinet meetings and will produce an executive summary of the listening tour for the board and community.

No formal action was taken during these reports beyond recognition and announcements.