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Board approves capstone‑course enrollments and adds special‑education leadership position
Summary
Trustees approved the second reading of capstone courses and courses with enrollments under 18 and created a combined assistant division chair/program coordinator role in special education (1.0 FTE split) with a net 0.2 FTE increase and a $5,000 stipend under the LTEA agreement.
The Lyons Twp HSD 204 Board approved the second reading of proposed capstone courses and course enrollments that fall below an 18‑student threshold and also approved creation of an additional assistant division chair/program coordinator position in special education.
Ed Piotrowski told the board the central leadership team recommended sectioning based on current Infinite Campus registrations for the 2627 school year, representing 3,612 students at the time of the presentation. He said the district is recommending an instructional FTE of 259.3 — a decrease of 7.9 FTE from prior projections — and reiterated that capstone courses are reviewed with special consideration for multi‑year course sequences.
On the special‑education leadership role, Piotrowski described a combined 1.0 FTE position split as 0.4 assistant division chair and 0.6 program coordinator to supervise about 50.1 certified special‑education FTE plus approximately 45 paraeducators and 7.1 LADSI personnel who work in off‑site community‑based transition programs. He emphasized fiscal restraint, saying the net increase over earlier projections is 0.2 FTE. Piotrowski said the assistant division chair portion of the role would be compensated according to the LTEA negotiated agreement, including a $5,000 stipend and 0.4 release time.
Board members expressed support for the recommended changes and asked about hiring prospects; Piotrowski said he expected a reasonable candidate pool for special‑education leadership. The board approved both the capstone/course enrollment recommendations and the new special‑education position by roll call.
Why it matters: The capstone and small‑enrollment course decisions shape which advanced and specialty courses will run next year. The new leadership position is intended to provide additional oversight for an expanding special‑education division and programs that operate off campus.
Next steps: Human Resources will post and recruit for the combined position, and staff said they will return to the board if additional FTE beyond the discretionary allotment is needed.
