On Monday, Feb. 13, Kaneland Community Unit School District 302 hosted its regularly scheduled board meeting at 7 p.m. in the sixth-grade team room at Kaneland Harter Middle School. All board members were present at the meeting except for Meg Junk and senior and student ambassador Lindsay Yost. The meeting was a closed session. Following the Pledge of Allegiance, roll call and superintendent and board salutes, there were public comments. 

     Kaneland Education Association President and Kaneland John Shields Elementary School fourth-grade English Language Arts teacher Kindra Schumacher gave her input on how class size impacts students. 

     “I understand that many factors come into play when discussing staffing and class sections. On behalf of the members I represent, I ask you to consider the [decisions] have many effects, one of those being class size,” Schumacher said. “Class size may primarily be a financial decision for the district, [but] it impacts the students in significant ways. There are academic struggles and [achievement], behavior challenges and successes and social and emotional [needs]. Please see the students in the classes and not just the number of students that can be in those classes.”  

     Kaneland Blackberry Creek Elementary School fourth and fifth grade ELA teacher Katie Reilley added on with her personal experience. 

     “We tend to look at the number of employed people in the building and certified teachers. Then, we [divide] the kids up that way. Unfortunately, even though we may have a physical education teacher with an open period, they are not in my room assisting at that time.” Reilley said. 

     Following public comments, it was time to move to new business. 

     The first item under new business was the approval to seek bids for the 2023-24 school year. 

     The bids needed for the 2023-24 school year are fuel, auditor services, health insurance broker, custodial services and a new pick-up truck. 

     The board approved this new business item to seek bids for spring 2023. The next item under new business was the purchase approval of school buses for the 2023-24 school year.

     At the last meeting, there were some questions regarding if the school should buy more buses now since many schools are not doing one-year leases and if more money could be made by auctioning buses. 

     After reviewing with a sales representative from Midwest Transit Equipment, Inc., it was found that there are no more buses that Kaneland could purchase. However, District Associate Superintendent Dr. Julie-Ann Fuchs explained how the district plans to auction buses. 

     “Rather than trying to auction all five buses this year, [we will] identify a bus we are ready to get rid of in the fall [and] take it to auction, see how it goes and [compare] the amount of work [to do it versus] the value we get,” Fuchs said. 

     After the board approved the purchase of the buses for the 2023-24 school year, District Director of Educational Services 6-12 Patrick Raleigh gave a presentation on the KHMS coursebook. 

     As nothing in the coursebook needed to be updated or changed, the board moved on to the last two items under new business, which was accepting donations from the Elburn Lions Club, Kane County Phantoms Baseball LLC and physical education teacher, driver’s education teacher and boys basketball coach Ernie Colombe.

     “[The Elburn Lions Club] collected $720 and asked that it [pay] any overdue student lunch accounts [and] spread out the rest of the money to each of the elementary schools to use for fun lunch days for students with low income,” Fuchs said.   

     After accepting that donation, the board also accepted $500 each from Kane County Baseball LLC and Colombe to help cover expenses for the Hoops for a Cure Shootout KHS.

     Following the new business items, District Superintendent of Schools Dr. Todd Leden gave his report. 

     “We have our first virtual open house for the referendum on Tuesday, Feb. 21. [Several links have] been sent out for that meeting [through email]. Also, you can go to the website kaneland.org/referendum and click on the meeting site. We hope to have a great turnout for the virtual meetings,” Leden said. 

     The next board meeting will be held on Monday, Feb. 27.