The Oct. 28, 2024, Kaneland school board meeting focused on various topics, including 2024-25 school improvement goals (SIP), increasing pay rates for translators and the Crown Community Development tax increment financing (TIF) in Sugar Grove. All board members were present at the meeting, excluding Ryan Kleisner.
Other items discussed included principal appreciation, the referendum and an approval of a tentative tax levy. There were also updates on Kaneville fire protection, track construction, and recent high school activities.
The meeting began with Superintendent Dr. Todd Leden honoring Kaneland’s principals for National Principal Appreciation Day. Director of Communications David Chavez presented a video introducing each principal and highlighting their specific successes.
The meeting proceeded with two public comments. Elburn resident Katherine Soderstrom spoke about her personal positive experiences with the Kaneland IgKnight Personalized Learning Academy, or KIPLA. She thanked the board for their continued support and asked for this support to extend to the future expansion of the KIPLA to further grade levels. Sodderstone additionally claimed that there are families moving to the Kaneland area specifically to attend KIPLA.
“Community awareness of personalized learning and the KIPLA program is occurring and continuing to occur,” Soderstrom said. “The KIPLA program is allowing both in- and out-of-district educators and administrators to see what personalized learning is and how they can implement it into their own schools.”
The next public comment was from Elburn resident Sheila Albano to invite community members to attend the 2024 IHSA Class 2A cross country Sectional hosted by Kaneland High School. There will be 42 teams at this Sectional, along with 30 people who qualified as individuals.
Each building’s principal gave a presentation on their school’s SIP, a quantitative goal used for various things like future curriculum, tests and teacher evaluations. These plans mostly included grade-wide growth in reading or math skills. Notably, the high school’s goal is to have students demonstrate a 10% increase in knowledge of pathways for college and careers.
Director of Human Resources Dr. Chris Adkins requested board approval for an alignment of written and oral translation pay rates to both being $50 per hour. Previously, the written translation rate was $50 while the oral translation was $25. Through research and networking, Adkins has found surrounding institutions pay their oral translators at a rate between $50 and $150 per hour. This fact, along with a specific case of a Vietnamese translator refusing to help at Kaneland because of the low pay rate, was Adkins’ rationale for his request. Board President Addam Gonzales, as well as board members Edmund Koch and Aaron Lawler, brought up the idea of varying pay rates depending on the popularity of the language, meaning less for languages like Spanish and more for Vietnamese. Koch and Gonzales reasoned that they do not want to double a pay rate for a service Kaneland already has. Ultimately, the motion to allow pay up to $50 for oral translators was approved by the board 6-0.
The board invited attorney Ken Florey to provide additional information on how the Crown Community Development TIF might affect the Kaneland district. Florey was unable to attend, but discussion continued. Conversation focused around the possible money Kaneland could receive as a tax body. Crown Community Development reported that the district would be able to receive at maximum 26 million dollars during the TIF. There was a general consensus across the board that the district is being shorted financially. The school previously voted to remain neutral on the TIF. There was strong opposition from Board Vice President Bob Mankivsky, who pointed out that he feels the predicted numbers provided are most likely extreme.
“[The numbers] have never been produced,” Mankivsky said. “The Village of Sugar Grove is pulling numbers out of their behind. Promises. Promises. Promises… This is all dependent on their ability to implement this. From what I have seen, it is given aways to billionaires on the backs of Kaneland students and other taxing bodies.”
Gonzales brought up the fact that the board could engage in litigation, which could cost them at most $250,000. This litigation, best case scenario, would result in killing the TIF entirely. Dr. Bogan and board member Jennifer Simmons stated that they feel the $250,000 would be better used towards improving the schools.
Board of Education Student Representative Sarah Slattery reported that the blood drive held at the high school on October 25 was able to impact 150 lives, making it the most successful one since 2015. The next blood drive at Kaneland High School will be on May 2. The Student Council was able to raise $1,570 for veterans so far, but the donation link is still open. Additionally, the varsity football team will travel to Belvidere North High School, on Nov. 1 for their first-round matchup in the IHSA playoffs. The varsity soccer team ended their season during the Regional championship, losing to Belvidere North, ending their season at second in the conference with a record of 16-7-1. Marching band placed 4th out of 5 schools for their class levels at their final competition at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Mankivsky requested that in the future they discuss the possibility of putting the EC-5 curriculum online as a resource for both parents helping their students at home and homeschooled students within the community.
The meeting concluded with two public comments, both pertaining to the TIF. Sugar Grove resident Scott Stalcup wanted to point out to the board that at various Sugar Grove village meetings they have stated that the TIF is for infrastructure only, meaning that there would not actually be any reimbursements. He also noted that there is no guarantee that there will be residential development based on approved zoning, which would reduce the amount of money given to the school. He also addressed an earlier statement by the board that said their neutral vote did not hold any weight, but he felt that if the school voted against it like the fire department, other taxing bodies would probably have followed the schools lead. Regarding the litigation, he warned that residents might feel that it is their taxpayer money fighting taxpayer money.
Blackberry Township resident Jaden Chada pointed out that TIF districts are easily amended, meaning Sugar Grove could continue to move their infrastructure further east. He agreed with the board that the amount of money that the TIF projected to give them is the absolute best case scenario, not the likely scenario. He ended his statement by saying that going through with the litigation discussed earlier would make residents happier with the school board, likely giving them more positive votes for their upcoming referendum.
The meeting concluded with a closed session with no possible action as a result. The next Kaneland school board meeting will be held on Monday, Nov. 11, 2024.
