On Monday, Feb. 26, 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, with Edmund Koch attending over a conference call.
Before the pledge, the board held a moment of silence in honor of Kaneland High School Resource Officer Deputy Christopher Ruchaj. Ruchaj passed away unexpectedly on Feb. 14. He had been a part of the Kane County Sheriff’s Department since 1997. He had been the resource officer at Kaneland High School since the 2022-23 school year, making it his second year at the high school.
“He will be greatly missed,” Board President Addam Gonzales said.
There were no superintendent salutes and no adjustments to the consent agenda.
The meeting then went into the first section of public comments. The main topic of concern for the commenters was the Kaneland IgKnight Personalized Learning Academy (KIPLA). The concern was regarding the expansion to more grades. When the academy was introduced, administrators explained that KIPLA would expand each year to introduce additional grade levels and to include more students. However, based on current enrollment numbers, they will not add ninth grade to the academy, which upsets affected parents.
“We have provided you with a thorough picture of how this school has impacted our children and the impact it can have on the generation of students to come,” Sugar Grove resident and KIPLA parent Jennifer Crocker said.
The board then transitioned into the three topics of new business, including approval of Dr. Kurt Rohlwing’s superintendent employment contract, public hearing and approval of driver education fees and the discussion of the proposed Crown Development TIF in Sugar Grove.
Gonzales introduced all those present to the future superintendent, Dr. Rohlwing, who will replace Dr. Todd Leden after his planned retirement in 2025.
“Dr. Rohlwing has an extensive educational background with experience in multiple levels of school administration, including an Ed.D in educational leadership from Aurora University,” Gonzales said. “[He is] assistant superintendent of schools from Round Lake School District #116 and director of secondary education at Round Lake… to name a few of high [many] accomplishments.”
For the next year, Rohlwing will be working with Leden to learn how the school district runs, and he will officially become superintendent starting with the 2025-26 school year.
“I want to thank the Board of Education for the opportunity and their confidence in my ability to be the future of Kaneland,” Rohlwing said.
Assistant Superintendent for Business Jackie Bogan then went over the driver education fees at the high school.
“This has been a long-standing practice in the district. This year we are asking again for the charge of the fee of $250. So, no change from the prior year,” Bogan said.
The number is based on the cost needed to run the class. The motion passed 7-0 with no comments during the public hearing.
Finally, Leden had Robbin Schwartz Law Practice Partner Kenneth Florey answer questions about the Sugar Grove Crown TIF. He explained how if the TIF is voted for and passed, it can last for up to 23 years, with an extension of 12 being allowed if voted again for it.
“TIF districts are very popular in Illinois. I’ve been working with school districts for over 30 years [regarding] TIF districts and on behalf of school districts. I’ve seen them grow over the years. Some are very successful, and others not so much, ” Florey said.
Any student in the TIF area can have their school tuition frozen or reimbursed if the funds are there before the TIF is passed. There is no guarantee for this to happen, but the assumption is that there would be.
There was no actionable item as a part of this discussion.
Senior and student representative Katie Pfotenhauer then shared information about recent high school events, including the winter dance and its associated activities, such as the Powderbuff volleyball game, won by the juniors, and the Royal Rumble pep assembly. At the assembly, students from all four high school grade levels, in addition to faculty members, competed in various competitions. The sophomores did well in each competition, resulting in them taking home the inaugural Royal Rumble trophy.
Also, both varsity basketball teams won their Regional championships, with the girls beating Prairie Ridge High School and the boys winning against Marmion Academy. The girls fell to Dixon High School in the Sectional finals. The boys will play Belvidere North High School on Wednesday, Feb. 28, at 7:00 p.m. in the East Gym for their Sectional semifinal game.
The second round of public comments included more parents advocating for KIPLA expansion.
“We will bring people into our district with this program, and if we don’t invest in the program now, we’re going to end up losing that interest… Even though we’re only a small community now, the idea is to grow it,” Virgil resident and KIPLA parent Laura Ekstrom said.
The final public comment was from Sugar Grove Village President Jennifer Konen in response to the TIF conversation.
“What I will say is Sugar Grove is not on the hook. The Village of Sugar Grove is not in the business of making risky business decisions… We are entertaining a TIF district on this property that is self-funded by the developer on reimbursable public infrastructure… So before you make a decision in your mind, wait for the information to come out,” Konen said.
The meeting went into closed session at 8:16 p.m. The next board meeting will be held on Monday, March 11.
