D219 5 Year Plan - Year 3

SUMMER 2012 1

Our Vision for the Future: District 219 Five-Year Plan

SUMMER 2012

FIVE-YEAR PLAN: YEAR 3

2 FIVE-YEAR PLAN: YEAR 3 www.niles219.org

Dear District 219 Community,

On May 30 and 31, my fellow Board of Education members and I proudly took part in the commence-ment ceremonies for Niles West and Niles North High Schools. We were honored to congratulate this year’s graduates: 609 students from West and 491 from North. As we watched each of these young women and men ascend the stage to collect their diplomas, it occurred to us that we can confidently say we know D219 is doing a better job of more consistently preparing all our students for success in life after high school.

And we know that we continue to make progress on our board goal: to improve the academic achievement of every student.

We know that 93 percent of our students graduate and go on to college, and we know that more of our students are enrolled in higher level courses than at any time in the recent past. These markers of success are possible because our faculty, staff and administrators are working together to realize the five priorities laid out in the five-year plan adopted by our board:

1. Advancing and integrating Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) and Literacy. 2. Ensuring a guaranteed and rigorous curriculum and common final exam for every course. 3. Anywhere/Anytime Learning – preparing our students for the digital future. 4. 21st century buildings, a five-year capital plan. 5. Creating powerful partnerships with parents and the community.

We have just completed the third year of our five-year plan; this publication highlights the progress we made this year. I encourage you to review the information in this report, which we are sending to all households in Niles Township. Thanks to your support of our schools, we are able to ensure a student-focused learning environment where students can succeed.

Community members rightfully expect us to spend tax dollars responsibly. In response, we are realigning resources to en-sure that we are preparing our students for college. We have restructured programs for greater operating efficiency and are putting increased emphasis on making sure that our students are making the necessary academic progress in math, English, reading and science. Over the past three years we have maintained a balanced budget by reducing in some areas and reinvesting our resources in others.

You have asked to learn more about the changes we are making in curriculum and instruction, because teaching and learn-ing is the core of what we do. At a time when public education receives so much negative attention in the national media, I believe it is critical that we communicate with Niles Township taxpayers and provide concrete information, in a transpar-ent manner, about how we are spending your tax dollars.

To learn more, I encourage you to visit our website at www.niles219.org. Under District Info you will find “5-Year Goals,” which will bring you to a corresponding document and video about each strategy. The site also features a presentation and video about our Local Growth Model, which allows us to chart the academic progress of every individual student.Our budget documents and district financial reports are available on the website under District Info/Publications. Super-intendent Nanciann Gatta’s homepage (listed under District/Administration/Superintendent) contains her annual budget address and opening day speeches to the staff, along with updates on a number of other D219 initiatives. You can also send her your comments or questions via the “Contact” link on her page.

You can watch video coverage of all Board of Education meetings and see other school programming online (Web Links/D219 TV) and on Cable Channel 16.

I encourage you to be involved in learning what your public high schools are doing and why we are doing it. Attend the three Town Hall Meetings we hold each year specifically for you. The dates are listed on page 3. And if you have ideas about how we can better serve you, please send an email to [email protected].

Thank you for your ongoing support of our schools.

Robert SilvermanBoard of Education President

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TWELCOME

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Expanding STEM and 21st Century Literacy

Structural Changes in Math Lead to Impressive Gains in College Readiness

STEM Curriculum Raisesthe Bar for Achievement

Netbooks Enhance Teaching and Learning Experience

Improved Efficiency Leadsto Cost Savings

Partnerships Boost Student Achievement

Superintendent’s Report

District 219 Board of Education

Lynda SmithTerm expires 2013

Ruth KlintTerm expires 2013

Dr. Sheri Doniger, Vice PresidentTerm expires 2015

Carlton Evans, SecretaryTerm expires 2015

Jeffrey Greenspan, Secretary Pro TemTerm expires 2015

Eileen ValferTerm expires 2015

If you would like to learn more about how we are spending your tax dollars to educate students at Niles North, Niles West and Niles Central, we encourage you to attend these upcoming Town Hall Meetings:

Annual Review of ProgramsThursday, Nov. 8, 2012 at 7 p.m.

Niles North High School9800 N. Lawler, Skokie

Auditorium

The D219 administration presents recommendations for possible restructuring of programs and personnel. Members of the public are encouraged to ask questions and

provide input.

Superintendent’s Financial AddressWednesday,March 13, 2013 at 7 p.m.

Niles West High School5701 W. Oakton Street, Skokie

South Lobby Commons

Superintendent Nanciann Gatta provides an overview of D219’s financial status,

including district revenues and expenditures. Audience members provide

recommendations on student fees.

“Raising Teens” sponsored by the Niles Township Youth Coalition

Tuesday, April 9, 2013 at 7 p.m.Niles North High School9800 N. Lawler, Skokie

Auditorium

Learn about the challenges facing teens in our schools. A panel of experts from local social

service and law enforcement agencies and the schools will provide advice on raising teens and

answer questions from audience members.


D219 Expands STEM, 21st Century Literacy Opportunities for Students

ADVANCING STEM

The D219 Board of Education’s first key strategy to prepare students for an increasingly technical and competitive world is to advance and integrate 21st Century technologies into the curriculum. Over the past three years, our schools have made significant progress in providing more opportuni-ties in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) and Literacy.

Since the STEM labs opened three years ago at Niles North and Niles West, the STEM Inquiry and Re-search (SIR) capstone course has offered budding student scientists and researchers the chance to engage in a level of research that has been recognized at the national and even international levels. For more about our students’ success in the program, please see the stories on pages 10 and 11.

D219 is also introducing two new capstone courses, one for engineering students and one for math-ematics. The district also continues to make significant changes throughout all levels of the curricu-lum to better prepare students for success after high school.

Students attending a Break for Books event at the Niles North Information Resource Center (IRC) have the opportunity to purchase books at a reduced price. This event helps to promote a culture of literacy, by encouraging students to read a wide variety of texts.

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Advances in the Engineering CurriculumEngineering Design and Development is an engineering re-search course that has students work in teams to research, design and construct a solution to an open-ended engineer-ing problem. Offering this class was made possible by building upon an ever-expanding selection of classes developed under Project Lead the Way (PLTW), the leading provider of rigor-ous and innovative STEM to middle and high schools across the U.S. PLTW’s comprehensive curriculum is collaboratively designed by PLTW teachers, university educators, engineer-ing professionals and school administrators to promote criti-cal thinking, creativity, innovation and real-world problem solving skills. Students use the same industry-leading 3D de-sign software used by companies like Intel, Lockheed Martin and Pixar.

Students are eligible to receive college credit for PLTW course-work at some of the top schools in the country and some of the top engineering schools even provide admissions prefer-ence to PLTW students. The eight teachers who are certified to teach PLTW courses in D219 have gone through rigorous and extensive training designed by the national governing body.

“Our teachers have worked hard to build this program to the point where we can offer the capstone research course,” said Chris Powell, Director of Applied Sciences & Technology (AS&T). “The course is set up to mirror the real-life product development life cycle and design process used by today’s top engineering and manufacturing companies. At the end of the course, each student team will present and defend its so-lution to a panel of outside reviewers.”

Success of the program is due in part to D219’s partners at the Tooling and Manufacturing Association and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, as well as other local company employees who have volunteered their time and resources to work with students and staff on curriculum and projects, and as guest speakers in classes.

D219 has also partnered with its sender middle schools to introduce the Gateway to Technology program, which is designed to spark an interest in STEM subjects and prepare students for further study in high school. The curriculum was created by the PLTW consortium. The following schools are currently participating: Golf Junior High, Old Orchard Junior High, Park View Junior High, Clarence Culver School, Fairview School and East Prairie School.

Students taking PLTW classes use critical thinking and creativity to solve problems.

Advances in the Mathematics CurriculumD219 has begun a comprehensive revamping of its curriculum by eliminating those lower-level courses that do not prepare students for college. The first department to undergo this criti-cal change is Mathematics. For more about this, please see the story that starts on page 7.

Increasing the rigor of the curriculum beginning with the fresh-man year will allow students to take advantage of higher level coursework. This year brought the debut of a new capstone math class: Mathematical Modeling and Research. Students engaged in a year-long project in which they chose a real-life problem with guidance from a teacher and developed a math-ematical model to address that problem with the help of a men-tor from business or academia.

Not all the new course offerings are geared to top achievers. “It is important that we make our STEM curriculum something all of our students can get get excited about, including students who are not in the honors track,” said Anne Roloff, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction.

To that end, this year D219 will offer a new Geometry and Engi-neering tandem class. One teacher from Mathematics and one from AS&T, will co-teach the same group of students for one period of regular level Geometry and one period of Introduc-tion to Engineering Design. This new course offering will allow students to use sophisticated three-dimensional modeling soft-ware as they apply the geometry concepts they are learning to real-life engineering applications.

(continued on next page)


ADVANCING LITERACY

“This is precisely the kind of cross-curricular collabora-tion we want to encourage,” Roloff said. “Our teach-ers and students can work together to go beyond the boundaries of the established course of instruction, and model a more dynamic way to teach and learn, a way that better prepares our students for success after high school.”

Advancing Literacy Across All DepartmentsThe English Department is restructuring its reading cur-riculum and supports to equip all students with the nec-essary skills in reading, writing and critical thinking. Be-ginning this 2012-13 school year, D219 will eliminate the lowest levels of Freshman English. Incoming freshmen who need extra support have been asked to attend sum-mer reading readiness classes this summer, and D219 is also offering summer classes to prepare students who would like to take Honors Freshman English.

“In the coming school year, our English department has plans to create a summer bridge course for students who are interested in taking an Advanced Placement course for the first time,” said Tony Bradburn, Director of English at Niles North. “Our goal is to offer all stu-dents whatever support they need to succeed, across all levels.”

“We are embracing two big changes in how we teach reading,” said Sanlida Cheng, Director of English at Niles West. “The first is to help students meet our overall tar-get of reading a variety of texts by including more non-fiction, young adult literature and more contemporary pieces in classes. The second is helping students foster

If you or your company would like to partner with D219 in the areas of STEM,

please contact one of our Directors:

Lois Wisniewski, Director of [email protected]

Chris Powell, Director of Applied Sciences & [email protected]

David Wartowski, Director of Math (North)[email protected]

Bob Williams, Director of Math (West)[email protected]

a life-long love of reading by including more self-selected inde-pendent reading in our classes, and working with our school and public librarians to put more books in the hands of our students.”

District reading specialists collaborate with Social Studies, Science and Special Education teachers to help students de-termine which critical reading strategies best work for them. English and Science teachers have used common texts so their students can apply lessons from those readings across differ-ent disciplines. Physical Welfare instructors assign students research papers to integrate investigative and analytical skills into those classes.

Beginning with this year’s freshman class, all D219 students will be required to take one semester of public speaking. The requirement can be fulfilled by taking one of these classes: Public Speaking, Theatre Workshop, Broadcasting Production, or Introduction to Debate.

The “classic” practice of newspaper production has gone high-tech at both schools. This spring, NorthStarNews, the Niles North newspaper, went online as an electronic publi-cation. The NilesWestNews completed its second year as an electronic publication; in its debut year it was named top on-line publication in the country. Both papers collaborate with their schools’ Broadcasting classes to provide students with a state-of-the-art news production experience.

“Our students continue to engage in authentic learning expe-riences by applying their literacy skills through technology,” said Cheng.

Physical Welfare teacher Mark Egofske shares one of his favorite books with students as part of Break for Books.

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Structural Changes in Math Lead to Impressive Gains in College Readiness

D219 asks incoming freshman students if they in-tend to go to college, and the response is overwhelm-ing: 99% say their goal is to go on to post-secondary education. Yet many students are graduating with-out having learned the necessary skills and concepts to make them college-ready. In fact, 39% of the Class of 2010 did not meet college readiness standards for math.

Analysis of nationally recognized college readiness benchmarks (the EXPLORE, PLAN and ACT tests) shows that there is a direct correlation between the rigor of a course taken by a student and how well prepared that student will be for college in that sub-ject area.

RIGOROUS CURRICULUM

The more rigorous the course, the better prepared the student

will be, even if the student gets a lower grade than he would

have in a less rigorous course.

Several years ago D219 administrators began taking a closer look at actual student data and realized that lower level cours-es do not prepare students for success after high school. For example, in the Mathematics department, nearly a third of our students were taking classes in which they had less than a 10% chance of meeting college readiness standards. Even students who performed the best in lower level classes were ill-prepared. Students who earned an ‘A’ in a lower-level algebra course had roughly the same low probability of attaining college readiness as students earning a ‘D’ in the regular level algebra course. (For an illustration, please see the chart on the following page.)

Niles North Math teacher Sean Delahanty (center) works alongside his students to construct a 10-foot-tall Sierpinski Pyramid.


“Clearly, we needed to take action in response to these un-acceptable results,” said Superintendent Nanciann Gatta. “One of the most significant actions we are taking is to eliminate lower-level courses in our schools, starting with the Mathematics department.”

Therefore, beginning in the 2011-12 school year, D219 elimi-nated Math 13-23 and Algebra 10-20, (both carrying a grade weight of 2, on a scale of 5), and required those students to enroll in Algebra 12-22 (grade weight 3), the regular level course.

Recognizing that these students need additional support to succeed at the higher level, the Board of Education ap-proved several new programs. Incoming freshmen with lower level math skills are required to take summer school courses to prepare them for algebra. During the regular school year, the new Algebra 12-22 Extension course pro-vides an additional period of math for those students who need extra support. Importantly, the additional period features a qualitatively different kind of instruction than the regular class. Extension class teachers provide pre-teaching of skills and concepts students will learn in the regular class, individualized instruction via computers and online lessons, community building and explicit instruction of skills required in school that are non-mathematical, in-cluding reading strategies and study skills. The board also approved a new class called Algebra Fundamentals for stu-dents who are in English Language Learner (ELL) classes.

The results in the first year have been impressive, accord-ing to David Wartowski, Math Director at Niles North.

“Early projections show a 33% increase in the number of students who will be college ready,” Wartowski said. “Nearly half of the students who previously had very little

chance at college readiness in mathematics are now on track to meet college readiness standards. Of the students who attended summer school, none failed their first semester of algebra. In addition, we are seeing increased levels of con-fidence among students who typically struggle in math and an increase in the level of all students’ ability to problem solve.”

The number of students in lower level algebra decreased from 331 in the 2009-10 school year, to 242 in 2010-11, to 0 this year, since the classes were eliminated.

Also, because D219 is now encouraging incoming freshmen to demonstrate algebra proficiency at the end of 8th grade, 112 students were able to take geometry as freshmen this year. If they choose to, these students will now be able to take calculus their senior year.

Results for the students who traditionally were enrolled in the lowest level classes have increased dramatically.

In 2009, only 6% of the freshmen who scored lower than 16 on the EXPLORE test were on track for college readiness; by contrast, this year, 43% of their counterparts appear to be on track to be college-ready, thanks to the advanced rigor of their math courses and the additional support offered them. The percentage of all freshmen in non-honors math classes who earned course grades that put them on track for col-lege readiness has increased from 31% in 2009 to 50% in 2011.

College Readiness by Grade, 2010-11 School Year Grade Earned during freshman year

A B C D F

College Ready Algebra 10-20 or Math 13-23

16.3% 8.4% 2.9% 1.8% 0.0%

College ReadyAlgebra 12-22

76.8% 57.7% 48.3% 19.5% 10.0%

RIGOROUS CURRICULUM

Number of Freshmen Students Enrolled in Lower-Level Math Classes

(Less Than 6% Chance of Being College Ready)

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350

2009-10

2010-11

2011-12

331

242

0

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Predicted* College Readiness(Non-honors)

2009 2010 2011

Students who scored lower than 16 on EXPLORE test

6% 5% 43%

All non-honors students

31% 34% 50%

*These are predictions based on McConnell Report correlations between course grades and college readiness.

RIGOROUS CURRICULUM

“These math program improvements are just the be-ginning of the changes we are making throughout the department to increase course rigor and better prepare all of our students,” said Bob Williams, Math Director at Niles West. “This coming year we are bringing similar structural changes in our Geometry curriculum. We also continue to improve our interventions, including offer-ing credit recovery programs for those students who are still failing, and providing individualized instruction to students who are getting Ds in algebra, so we can meet our goal of having 100% of students be proficient in first-year algebra by the junior year.”

“More remarkable than these initial results are the im-pacts that this structural change has made on our teach-ers’ instructional practices, which in turn has affected all of our students, not just the ones who historically have struggled,” Wartowski said. “In a district that has long sought to differentiate instruction via various levels of course offerings, we have now been faced with the ques-tion: ‘How do I teach the same learning targets to all stu-dents in a single class with varied levels of readiness?’ This essential question has forced us to re-evaluate our sense of what quality teaching and learning looks like.”

Sean Delahanty’s geometry classes spent several weeks building tetrahedrons (pyramid-shaped blocks) in order to construct a 10-foot-tall purple pyramid in the Niles North High School lobby. The tetrahedrons were assembled into a Sierpinski Pyramid.

A Sierpinski triangle is a fractal and fixed set that is a mathematically-generated pattern that can be repro-duced at any magnification or reduction. The triangle consists of three smaller triangles, each of which con-sists of three smaller triangles and can be subdivided indefinitely.

Delahanty explained why his classes were building a pyramid. He said, “We need to change perceptions about what mathematics is. It is more than merely a tool for solving problems. It is beautiful, interesting, and can be a lot of fun. This is a cool way to get conver-sation going about mathematics outside of the class-room.”

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RIGOROUS CURRICULUM

STEM Curriculum Raises the Bar for Achievement


When the Board of Education adopted Board Strategy # 1, Advancing and Integrating Science, Technology, Engineering, Math and Literacy, the STEM research centers had recently been completed, and a new science course, STEM Inquiry and Research (SIR) was created for students eager to take on the challenge of achieving more in science, mathematics and engi-neering. Not only would D219 students have the opportunity to design and conduct advanced research and learn from leading scientists and researchers throughout the world, but they would gain competitive advantages as they sought entry into institutions of higher learning and the workforce. The Board’s investment in STEM was quickly realized; in 2010, for the first time in D219 history, two students were accepted into the Intel International Science and Engi-neering Fair (ISEF), the world’s largest pre-college celebration of science. An invitation for ISEF to D219 students has become a yearly tradition, as successive groups of students have been extended the opportunity to showcase their scientific research alongside the brightest young minds in the world. This year, five SIR students attended ISEF, and Niles West student Felix An-gelov was selected as the “Best in Category” winner in microbiology, in addition to receiving a first place award. His research on inhibiting chemical signaling between bacteria to eradicate disease was highlighted in last year’s community report. See sidebar on page 11 to view more of this year’s STEM successes and accomplishments.

At the 2012 Internation-al Science and Engineering Fair in Pitts-burgh, PA, Niles West student Felix Angelov won “Best in Category” and a First Place award in microbiology. He received a $5,000 cash award and an all-expense paid trip and scholarship to the Bessie Lawrence International Summer Science Insti-tute at Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science.

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Above: D219 students were sought out by Nobel Prize winners who are District 219 alumni at the 2012 ISEF Conference. From left: Martin Chalfie, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 2008 (Niles East Class of 1965); Elan Ness-Cohn(Niles North); Ayana Jamal (Niles North); Felix Angelov (Niles West); Ariella Hoffman-Peter-son (Niles North) and H. Robert Horvitz, Nobel Prize in Physiol-ogy/Medicine, 2002 (Niles East Class of 1964). Not pictured: Haley Sproull (Niles North).

Left: Ayana Jamal earned a 4th place Grand Prize award in Health and Medical Sciences at ISEF, and other prizes. Ariella Hoffman-Peterson was selected to lunch with Nobel Laureates, and present a discussion question during the Excellence in Sci-ence and Technology Panel at ISEF.

This is the third consecutive year that D219 has qualified students for ISEF, and only the most elite researchers achieve this significant honor. As D219 Director of Science Lois Wisniewski stated, “This is an amazing opportunity for our students. Once they travel down this path, there’s no limit to what they can achieve.” District 219 was the only Illinois district to win any award at ISEF.

North student Ayana Jamal, who attended the ISEF conference and presented re-search that examined using retinoic acid as a rescue treatment for fetal alcohol syn-drome using a zebrafish model of development, affirmed that the SIR class at D219 has afforded her countless opportunities for advancement.

“I really think it’s a great experience for anybody who wants to go into science, math or engineering. It’s an independent course so it teaches you a lot about research at a very high level. It’s allowed me to do everything I want to do and have the class time to do it. I don’t think I would have had the opportunity to do projects at such a high level if it wasn’t for this class.” said Jamal.

2011-2012 Accomplishments

Regional Illinois Junior Academy of Science (IJAS) Fair:- Niles North captured First Place trophy for 22nd consecutive year. D219 students earned 66 medals, 12 Best in Category plaques, Two Best Papers, 17 Special awards. - IJAS created the Jacki Naughton Inspiration-al Award, in honor of the Niles North teacher’s many years of dedication to her students. Regional Junior Science and Humanities Sym-posium: - Two D219 students were selected to present research in Washington, DC.

Midwest Research Competition (Positive Im-pact):- D219 students won the top three awards.

Percy Julian Symposium:- First Place, Third Place and Fourth Place awards won by D219 students.

11th annual High School Research Symposium at Illinois State University:- Niles North took First Place trophy for the third year. D219 earned 27 awards. One stu-dent earned the Student Choice Award, elect-ed as the best project by all students.

IJAS State Science Fair:- D219 brought home 64 medals, 8 Special Awards, two Top Papers and 15 Best in Cat-egory awards.

ISEF Results:- D219 sent five students to this premier com-petition and earned two Fourth Place Grand Prize awards, two First Place awards and the Best in Category award. Three students were invited to present their work at the 2012 American Association of Pharmaceutical Sci-entists Annual Meeting.

Summer Internships/Programs: Students are involved in these summer programs: Illinois Summer Research Academy, Illinois State Uni-versity; Summer Academy of Applied Science and Technology, University of Pennsylvania; Biomineral Engineering Group, Northwest-ern University; Research and Engineering Ap-prenticeship, Loyola University Chicago and American Chemical Society Project SEED research at Loyola University Chicago.


TECHNOLOGYANYWHERE, ANYTIME LEARNING

Netbooks Enhance Teaching and Learning Experience


The Board of Education’s Strategy #3, Anywhere/Any-time Learning, integrates the latest technology into the classroom to meet the needs of 21st century students. 2,350 netbooks have been distributed to freshmen since the 2010-2011 school year. Teachers and students were quick to adopt Web 2.0 applications; teachers use Moodle sites and their students collaborate and communicate us-ing Google Docs.

Leading EdTech research shows that when technology is integrated into the curriculum, many students are more motivated to learn. Niles West biology teacher and National Board Certified Teacher Jayson Foster said, “As a teacher I must adapt my teaching based on my audience, my students.” Foster said that teachers should find out what special interests students have, to help them make connections with the material. He gave an example of an interactive video game with bacteria and viruses that he had on his Moodle site. “They’ll play that game to learn how diseases spread and then we can have a discussion about that. Now, I could not do that, they would not get the same feel if we did this on paper.”

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Tech Leaders Learn By Helping StudentsWhen junior Aliza Malyani saw an advertisement for Student Tech Leaders during freshman year, she knew immediately that it was the job for her. “I saw this really cool ad they had, so I went online and researched it and said, ‘Okay, I want to apply for this.’ ” She was accepted into the pro-gram her sophomore year and has been assisting in the Tech Leader program ever since.

For students having a problem with their netbook, or a diffi-cult project, Malyani puts them at ease, “I think helping my peers, especially when they come in with video and photo problems is the best part of the job, because that’s what I’m good at. I can help them download videos, make videos and help students who want to learn about multimedia. I’m really blessed that I know so much about media so when they come in, I’m like, ‘I can help you with this, that’s my stuff.’ ”

Tech Leaders help students with netbook repairs, saving and printing documents and navigating the netbooks. They receive extensive training from Information Services staff and take a leadership role by exploring and blogging about emerg-ing technology and producing help videos for students. Malyani was a student representative at the TECH 2012 Stu-dents for the Information Age event in Springfield, IL, giving technology demonstrations to members of the public and elected members of the Illinois State Senate and House of Representatives.

“Being part of Tech Leaders is a great learning opportunity,” Malyani says. “Students come in with little tech knowledge and they learn as they’re here,” said Malyani.

Malyani’s future goal is to apply to medical school to become a pediatric oncologist and to earn a Ph.D.

A different approach that teachers have incorporated with the netbook technology is called “Flipping the Classroom.” The idea is that the traditional classroom is “flipped” with students watching informative videos or lectures at home on their netbook, then coming in to work on “homework” or activities. The teacher can work individually with students who may not get the concepts or who need further support. Foster said that he uses this approach, having students watch a lecture or inves-tigate a topic and then come to class to get clarification and solidify the material. “It makes the teaching experi-ence a little richer in that regard, and that’s through us-ing technology.”

Differentiated instruction is also being achieved at D219 through flipped classrooms such as Tina Helms’s algebra class at Niles North. “I can identify students who need more guidance, more assistance. Everyone is being chal-lenged at their own readiness level,” she said.

“Flipped learning really helps me to differentiate my lessons because I’m able to provide assistance to those who need it and provide a challenge to those who are ready to move on.” Many educators view netbooks as another tool to help with teaching. Foster and Helms both agree that not ev-ery lesson is enhanced by technology, as there are some tried and true methods that work best without it.

“There’s definitely a greater participation, with students using the netbooks in correlation to the topic.” said Foster.

“In geometry, the netbooks have definitely enhanced the lessons,” said Helms. “Before the netbooks we would typically work on constructions with paper and pen. The netbook has provided us with the opportunity to do these constructions and investigations in about half the time it would take using paper and pencil. Since the netbooks have cut down on that time immensely, there is more time to apply what we’ve learned.”

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Niles West’s Jewell Loyd received All State rec-ognition all four years of her career, includ-ing First Team three times. She earned a full scholarship to Notre Dame as one of the top 10 senior recruits in the nation. (Photo: Victoria Robles)

Niles NorthBoys Cross Country - CSL North Cham-• pionship and undefeated for second straight yearFootball - Senior Running Back Oshayne • Brown was selected as 2011 CSL North Offensive Player of the YearBoys Basketball - Regional Champion-• ship, their consecutive 20-win season. Coach Glen Olson was named Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Division 2 Co-Coach of the YearGirls Basketball - CSL North Champion-• shipBoys Swimming/Diving - CSL North • Championship for second straight year. 11 athletes competed at StateBoys Wrestling - Camerin “Blue” Pascoe • competed at StateBoys Track and Field - Team missed 8th • consecutive CSL North Championship by one point. 4x8 relay team placed 2nd during IHSA State Finals and shattered the school recordGirls Track and Field - Annemarie Reid • and Dianna Edmund qualified for State Finals. Reid placed 11th in the pole vaultBoys Gymnastics - Mendel Moskovitz, • Scottie Wong and Dhwal Gheewala advanced to State Finals in the parallel bars and pommel horseBoys Tennis - David Bacalla qualified • for State for the third straight year. He placed 15th in State, the furthest any North tennis player has advancedBass Fishing - The team narrowly missed • a second consecutive IHSA Sectional Championship, placing second. The team earned 52nd place in the State FinalsNiles North was presented with the • Strength of America award for its strength and conditioning program. North is one of 14 high schools in the nation to receive this award

Niles WestGirls Basketball - Team won the CSL South • Conference title and IHSA Regional Cham-pionship for second year. Jewell Loyd scored over 3,000 points in her career (only the 7th boy or girl to do so in IHSA history), and became the first Niles Town-ship basketball player to be selected as a McDonald All-American Player Boys Soccer - Team advanced to Regionals• Boys Cross Country - Team qualified for • State - 1st time in school historyGolf - Nate Lee qualified for his second • consecutive State competitionGirls Swimming - Edan Scott finished 5th • in State in 50-yard freestyleGirls Volleyball - Team advanced to Re-• gionalsBoys Basketball - Team advanced to the • Regional semifinalsCheerleading - Qualified for State for the • second straight yearPoms - Competed at Walt Disney World • and finished 12th in the large school categoryGirls Gymnastics - Jenny Marin and Cath-• erine Steegmuller qualified for SectionalsWrestling - Nick Vickers, Tommy Wil-• liams, Anthony Underwood and Vaughn Monreal-Berner qualified for SectionalsBoys Baseball - Regional Championship, • overall record of 26-10. Shortstop Kevin Ross selected by Pittsburgh Pirates in MLB draftBoys Gymnastics - Team won Burkel Invite • and Foerch Invite. 5 athletes qualified for State. Josh Nicolasin finished 10th on ringsBoys Track - Finished 4th at Sectionals. • Terrance Bramlett finished 6th in State at shotput. 4x800 relay finished 7th at State and is ranked 13th in the nationGirls Track - Sunshine Bright, Jasmine • Townsen and Rosario Sievers qualified for State FinalsBoys Water Polo - Finished 4th in Confer-• ence. Had an 11-game winning streak; 17 total wins this season

FACILITY EQUITY

Facility Equity Helps Athletes Strive for the Best

D219’s five-year plan ensures that athletes will have a level play-ing field on which to compete. With D219’s state-of-the-art facilities, our athletes can experience the joy and excitement of competition, and the experience of working together as a team, in the safest environment pos-sible. Due to the historic agreement between D219 and the Skokie and Morton Grove Park Districts and the Village of Lincolnwood Department of Parks and Recreation to jointly de-velop our feeder athletic programs, young people in Niles Township ben-efit from the coordination of more than 20 youth athletic programs, and common standards for coaching and excellence.

Improvements in 2011-2012 included: Opening 10 new tennis courts at • Niles West. Opening of the Niles West Ath-• letic Training Center. Updated bleachers and lighting in • West’s Mike Basrak Stadium.Rebuilt playing surface on Junior • Varsity softball field at West. This will allow feeder baseball and softball teams more opportuni-ties to practice and play games.Groundbreaking for the Niles • North Aquatics Center, to be completed in fall 2013.

SUMMER 2012 15

D219 continues to implement environmentally sound practices in its buildings and operations. The front plaza at Niles North High School was completely redesigned this year. Where there used to be a sea of con-crete at the school’s main entrance, the site now features a beautifully landscaped area featuring native trees and grasses, including drought-resistant plants, and seating areas made of local stone. Native plants also beautify a stormwater detention pond that was installed adjacent to the new concession stand by the football stadium.

Both schools benefit from student volunteers who collect items for re-cycling. At Niles North, from August to April, the Recycling Club recycled 35.16 tons of paper, or 76,320 pounds. Throughout the school year, the Go Green Club at Niles West recycles paper, cardboard, plastic bottles and aluminum cans from all classrooms and offices at Niles West, Niles Central and the District office.

D219’s foodservice provider, Organic Life, offers healthy, nutritious food at low cost. Organic Life uses locally grown, organic foods and employs environmentally sustainable practices. The Green Council for School Improvement (GCSI) brings together stu-dents, teachers and staff to collaborate on ways to make our schools more environmentally sustainable. GCSI makes funding available for proj-ects proposed by students. Among the recent projects:

An outdoor classroom adjacent to the native prairie at Niles West.• An aquaponics project at Niles North that is a self-contained system to • grow and harvest plants and fish.Raised garden beds at Niles West to grow fruits, vegetables and • flowers.An ongoing seed start program at Niles North run by Special Educa-• tion students, who this year contributed hundreds of tomato and basil plants to the local food pantry.

Green Mindset Expands Boundaries

Niles West students submitted a proposal to the Green Council for School Improvement (GCSI) to build this outdoor classroom at the edge of the prairie.

Felicia Hirm in Barb Harris’ class sells plants to North teach-er Nils Peterson. The class grew vegetables and herbs from seed in the greenhouse. Sales raised $800 for the District 219 Edu-cation Foundation for Excellence.

Niles West teacher Vanessa Brechling and students install raised plant beds in the courtyard. The heir-loom tomatoes they plant will be ready for harvest in the late summer.

Sixth graders from McCracken Middle School visit the Niles North greenhouse. North students helped them choose healthy plants and talked to them about the greenhouse.


21ST CENTURY BUILDINGS

Improved Energy Efficiency Leads to Cost Savings

The Board of Education’s fourth strategy, 21st Century Buildings, is to plan for any future develop-ments or programs by ensuring that our facilities are safe and well-maintained. D219 strives to make its facilities energy-efficient as well as environmen-tally responsible. These proactive measures, the district has been able to realize significant cost sav-ings.

Niles West was awarded the Leadership in En-• ergy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance (LEED EB:O&M) Certification in 2011 by the U.S. Green Building Council. Niles West was one of the first five schools in the United States to achieve this certification. The LEED EB:O&M credential rec-ognizes D219’s efforts to increase sustainabil-ity, reduce energy consumption, and improve indoor environmental quality.

Niles West’s energy efficiency also earned it an • ENERGY STAR certification from the U.S. En-vironmental Protection Agency. Niles West is performing among the top 25% of similar high school buildings in the U.S.

Niles North was awarded ENERGY STAR rating • in 2012.

To learn more about D219 facilities and the • ongoing efforts to keep our buildings running efficiently, please go to our website at www.niles219.org. Click on the Niles West or Niles North icon, then the Going Green icon.


Introduction Electricity SolarElectricComparisonsGreenFeaturesGreenTipsWeather

View the total electricity con-sumption at the schools. Com-paretolastweek,orlastmonthorseeaunitequivalent.

buildingdashboard.com/clients/niles/west/

SUMMER 2012 17

GREEN FEATURES

LEED AND ENERGY STAR

CertifiedbyU.S.GreenBuildingCouncilasbeingoneoftenK-12schoolsintheNation,andoneofonlytwoschoolsinIllinois.

In2010awardedEnergyStarbyU.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency.

Introduction Electricity SolarElectricComparisonsGreenFeaturesGreenTipsWeather

MainMenuPreviousNext

NilesWesthassolarpanelsthatpower a 6-classroom addition.Seehowmuchsolarelectricityisharvestedthroughouttheday.

Did you know that Niles Westhasa“live”roofthatcanreducecosts of heating and cooling ofupto50%?Checkoutthistabtoseeothergreenfeatures.

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Learnhelpfultipstoreduceyourowncarbonfootprint.

This is a screen shot of the Niles West building dashboard.


School-Parent-Community Partnerships Boost Students’ Achievement

PARTNERSHIPS

Top: Jeannette and Jerome Franklin take part in book discussions with students in the American Literature and Comp./U.S. History classes at Niles North. Groups talked about book selections from the Coming Together in Skokie program as well as about their own personal histories.

Above: Niles West ceramics students put the final touches on an art installation in the Northshore Sculpture Park. The piece will have an official unveiling this fall.

Above Right: The Assyrian community performs traditional dances during the Opening Ceremony for Coming Together in Skokie.

Right: Marissa Matesi directs Ed Swiderski of Kambio Group to his class-room for his Ask the Experts Day presentation. Swiderski talked to busi-ness students about social marketing and media.

SUMMER 2012 19

Research from Harvard University and D219’s own experience shows that when schools work closely with parents and build partnerships with local businesses, other agencies and community members, students increase their academic achieve-ment. This is true not only for the most active stu-dents, but holds true across families of all economic, racial, ethnic and educational backgrounds. Here are just a few examples of valuable partnerships that D219 has established to help our students achieve:

THE PARTNERSHIP HOW IT WORKSNILES TOWNSHIP SCHOOLS’ ELL PARENT CENTERThe center, which is funded in part by D219, serves as a welcome resource for parents to support them in advocating for their children’s academic achievement. The center offers English classes, access to community services, and uniquely designed workshops. D219 students tutor English Language Learners at the center and provide childcare. This year the center held its Parent Achievement Celebration at Niles West.

DISTRICT 219 EDUCATION FOUNDATION FOR EXCELLENCEThe D219 Foundation provides education-related assistance to students in need. To date, the Foundation has distributed over $120,000 in grants to D219 students. If you would like to serve on the Foundation or volunteer for events, go to www.219foundation.org.

NILES TOWNSHIP YOUTH COALITIONThis coalition of local schools, social service agencies, law enforcement and court officials, library reps and others meets monthly to exchange information about the challenges our young people face. It holds an annual Town Hall Meeting for the public.SKOKIE NORTHSHORE SCULPTURE PARKD219 has participated in this organization’s Sculpture in the Classroom program. Recently, Barb Wismer’s art classes at Niles West installed a sculpture that will be on permanent display in the park, next to a display from Niles North.

WANT TO BECOME A PARTNER?Companies like Shure, Inc., John Crane Co., Astellas and the NorthShore University Health System have become valued partners by participating in Ask the Experts Day and Job Shadow Day, coordinated by the Education to Careers Department at our schools. These events educate students about various industries. As leaders in their respective fields, our partners provide valuable business insights to students. If you would like to explore a partnership with D219 or have suggestions for opportunities, please contact Jim Szczepaniak at [email protected].

Niles Township Schools’ ELL Parent Center Director Corrie Wallace (left) congratu-lates Yasmin Ahmed (right) at the Parent Achievement Celebration at Niles West. Ahmed’s daughter, Halima (center), also volunteers at the center.

D219 Education Foundation for Excellence2221DDDDD22NTHS

www.ellparentcenter.org

www.219foundation.org

www.sculpturepark.org

www.nilestownshipyouth.org


In keeping with D219’s goal to “improve the academic achieve-ment of every student,” we offer a broad cross-section of courses and programs so that every student may achieve his or her op-timal potential. D219 offers students more than 250 courses to choose from, including a wide range of Advanced Placement of-ferings, partnership programs, tutoring opportunities, and a top-notch Special Education program. We encourage every student to participate in extracurricular activities, sports, clubs, fine arts, mentoring and career education opportunities. There are more than 20 competitive sports and 75 clubs for our students to join.

Here are just a few of our accomplishments in 2011-12:

The Niles North Science department was honored with the • first-ever Illinois Science Teachers Association Award. Our exceptional faculty has won numerous national and state • awards. Recent awards include: Distinguished Service Citation from American Association of Physics Teachers, Na-tional Journalism Rising Star, Illinois Theatre Award, Chicago Motivator Award from American Women in Science, Outstanding German Educator and more. More than 20 members of the teaching staff are National Board Certified Teachers.History students were selected to represent the state of Illinois at National History Day; students earned 14th place • in the nation.Students were invited to present their research at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), the world’s • most prestigious fair for high school science students. Recently, a West student earned Best in Category (the top 1% of participants) Several students were selected to present their research at the 2012 American Association of Phar-maceutical Scientists Annual Meeting.Niles North’s Chess Team won the State championship for the third time since 2006. The team was honored by the • Village of Skokie. State Representative Lou Lang sponsored HR1027, a resolution that congratulated the team on its State win. The resolution was adopted by the House on May 8.A student was selected as the winner of the 2012 Artistic Discovery Congressional Art Competition, sponsored by • Representative Jan Schakowsky. His painting will hang in the U.S. Capitol for one year.The area’s largest post-high school planning fair includes representatives from over 250 colleges, universities, techni-• cal schools and the military.D219 contributes to the community: in 2011-12, D219 students raised approximately $85,000 for Special Gifts Theatre • through their School Chest/Dance Marathon efforts. To date, the D219 community has raised more than $1 million for Relay for Life.D219 Debate teams competed very strongly this year, winning a State championship and other trophies. The Niles • Township Invitational Speech Tournament has been classified as a finals Tournament of Champions (TOC) bid. Teams wanting to debate in the highly prestigious national championship must participate in TOC competitions.An editor for Niles West News was named to the All-State Journalism Team. • Students were invited to attend the 12th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates at the University of Illinois, Chi-• cago.

WORLD CLASS

Niles West student Passang Gonrong meets the Dalai Lama at Loyola University. She was honored for her winning essay on nonviolence. Photo: Mark Beane / Loyola University Chicago

SUMMER 2012 21

Financial Report for Fiscal Year 2010-2011


Dear Niles Township Taxpayers,

The students of Niles West, Niles North and Niles Central High Schools are fortunate to live in a district that has the capacity and the desire to fund and support quality public high schools. We welcome parents to become actively engaged in their children’s education and to learn more about how our faculty, support staff and administrators are working together to meet our goal of increasing the academic achievement of every student. And I want to hear from any parent who has a question about the job we are doing, or a sugges-tion about how we can do it better.

I understand how critical it is to communicate with all the homeowners, business people and other stakeholders who are investing in our students via the taxes they pay to D219. In the past several years, property tax bills in Niles Township have skyrocketed, at the same time that housing values have declined. And this is taking place at a time of increasing de-mands on government resources.

We are sending this community report to all households in Niles Township because the D219 Board of Education and I know that we are accountable to you, and we want to share information about how we are making use of your tax dollars to educate our young people.

This publication highlights some of the ways we strive everyday to achieve the five key strategies that support our board goal of improving the academic achievement of every student. We have committed to this five-year strategic plan and are aligning our resources and program development to the pursuit of realizing every strategy. This is why we annually review our programs and personnel. It’s why we restructure every year. We reduce expenditures in some areas in order to invest strategically in others.

We have invested in programs such as Scientific Inquiry and Research, Mathematical Modeling, Mandarin Chinese, Varsity Physical Education, Debate and the federally mandated Response to Intervention programs, known as RTI. We also invested in five new engineering courses, new support courses in math and reading, and a third session of classes in summer school, so students can continue their academic progress over the summer.

Where have we reduced expenditures in the curriculum? We re-duced the PE and Health requirement from nine to eight, changed our staffing philosophy in Special Education and the Information Resource Centers to make staffing more efficient, eliminated some resource centers and started having some of our directors and coordinators teach in addition to their administrative duties. We removed courses that are under-enrolled or outdated, restruc-tured the business and human resources departments, reduced overtime and eliminated or restructured 30 support staff and ad-ministrative positions.

At the same time we invested more in the Literacy Centers, Any-where/Anytime Learning, and D219 University, our in-house pro-fessional development program. We instituted a new evaluation system, including Peer Assisted Review (PAR) for new teachers. We provided family liaisons for our parents who are not proficient in English, and we are allocating new resources to be in compli-ance with new state mandates in Special Education and ELL.

(continued on page 24)

SUPERINTENDENT

Dr. Nanciann GattaSuperintendent

White45.5%

Black7%

Hispanic12.3%

Asian/Pacific Islander31.2%

Multiracial

3.5%

Native American less than 1%

Racial/Ethnic Background of District 219 Students

SUMMER 2012 23

What We Believe

This community report provides a lot of detail about D219’s Board goal, to increase the academic achievement of every student, the five key strategies our Board has identified to support that goal, and the financial condition of our district. I would like to take this opportunity to highlight some of the key beliefs we hold in D219 that drive all of these policies and decisions:

Ready for college is ready for lifeWhether our students are heading for a four-year college, a community college, or a career directly out of high school, they need a solid foundation of academic knowledge coupled with critical thinking and learning skills. Ex-haustive research, from the American Diploma Project to data from ACT, shows that there is no significant difference between college readiness and career readiness. From an academic perspective, college and career readiness means that a high school graduate has the English and math knowledge and skills needed to qualify for and succeed in the post-secondary job training, and/or the continuing education necessary for their chosen career. We believe it is our duty to prepare our D219 students so that every graduate of Niles North, Niles West and Niles Central has the option to go to college.

Every student has the right to be educatedWe believe that every student is as deserving of a quality education as every other. We believe a student from the most disadvantaged household in Niles Township should have access to the same educational tools and resources as the student with the most advantages. We recognize that our most advanced classes are disproportionately en-rolled with white students, and that black and Latino students are disproportionately represented in our lowest level classes. This is a dynamic that manifests itself in schools across the country, but that does not make it right, and that does not make it just. We pledge to change that. We are committed to making the way we teach more equitable. This is why we are eliminating our lowest level courses, which do not prepare those students for college. This is why we are structurally improving our curriculum so that we give every student the support she needs to succeed. This is why we are taking a hard look at how we run our schools so we can help every student succeed regardless of race, ethnic background or family resources.

Every student has the ability to succeedWe believe that every student has the ability to learn and the desire to succeed. We believe that, in order for a child to achieve her full potential, the adults in her life, beginning with her parents, then her teachers, must express their high expectations for her. Then they must back it up with the support she needs. This is why, for any given course, we are standardizing learning targets across all teachers at all our schools, administering the same final exam to all students, and assigning final grades based on the same criteria. This is why all our teachers are learning how to better assess whether their students are learning what they should, and how to intervene when a particular student needs extra support. This is why, when given a choice between putting a student in a lower-level course, which would be the “safe” or “comfortable” thing to do, versus moving the child up and offering him the support he needs to suc-ceed, D219 now moves the child up. And we pledge to provide the necessary support.

Public schools are America’s great hopeIn an era of declining public resources, decreasing faith in government and an economy that increasingly requires people to make tough choices, in many communities, the public school is the one place parents can count on to help raise their children: not just to provide an education, but with a safe place to be after school, to play sports, to talk with a counselor, to dance, to play an instrument, to learn English, to make friends, to join the Debate team ....We at D219 are committed to preparing our young people for success after high school. We are committed to proving that public schools work!


District 219 Student Information

Enrollment 4,730

Attendance Rate 93.5%Graduation Rate 90.5%College Enrollment Rate 93.0%

Additional Student Information

Low Income Rate 30.8%

Limited English Proficiency Rate

5.1%

High School Dropout Rate 0.8%Chronic Truancy Rate 1.6%

Mobility Rate 4.1%

We are able to do this while maintaining a balanced budget. D219 is not only the most financially stable district in the Central Suburban League, but we also have the most progressive and modern programming and facilities. This is possible because we are following a long-term strategic plan.

But I want to emphasize this critical point: in today’s economy it is simply impossible for us to add resources to programs without reducing expenditures. Here are the long-term factors that are driving the need for us to balance investments with reductions:

Consumer Price Index – Urban (CPI-U)The CPI-U is the measure of the 12-month inflation rate for the previous year. This metric has varied widely over the past few years. In levy year 2008, it was 4.1%. It decreased to 0.1% in levy year 2009, and climbed to 2.7% in levy year 2010. It was 1.5% in 2011, and 3% in 2012. The CPI-U is an important factor because historically it is the maximum amount of increased revenue a district is entitled to receive from current taxpayers, not counting new construction. However, our expenses continue to grow greater than the increase in the CPI-U. Because the existing union contracts were negotiated during more robust economic times, the average salary increase over the past five years has been 5.8% and the average increase in benefits has been 7.5%. Since 82% of the education fund pays for salaries and benefits, you can see that these percentages are far greater than the CPI-U for the same periods.

Property Tax CollectionThe second factor that most impacts our revenue is the tax collection rate. Most districts rely heavily on their community, their local property taxes, to fund their schools. For example, 35% of the property tax for the average home in Skokie goes to D219. Local property taxes make up 88% of our total revenue; the remaining dollars come from the state and federal gov-ernment. In the past we have enjoyed a stable 98% collection rate for all property in our tax base.

When companies close, like the Kraft plant in the northwest corner of our district did this year, there is no immediate effect on tax revenue; the building owner has to pay their property taxes. But if the building is sold for less than it was previously worth, the assessed valuation decreases and so does the resulting property tax. In the long run, we may see decreased revenue from this property, therefore passing on a larger tax burden to residents. We are carefully watching the trend with this and all other properties in the township. We can no longer expect tax revenues to rise year after year, as they did for so many years during the real estate boom.

SUMMER 2012 25

State and Federal FundingThe budget problems facing our state will have a di-rect effect on the funding provided to schools. In Fis-cal Year (FY) 2010 we received $9.4 million from the state and federal governments. In FY11, we received $10.4 million. Our expected FY12 revenue is $8.8 million, and, with one month left in the fiscal year, we had only received 48% of these dollars. For FY13 we are expect-ing to receive $7.8 million, due to the expiration of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act technology grant

Of particular concern is Illinois Senate Bill 2073 and its ilk. These bills are very popular with homeowners, who are upset that their property tax bills are higher, even though the value of their home is less. I don’t normally like to focus on proposed legislation until the governor signs it, but I will comment on this bill because it would severely harm D219.

Currently our tax levy extensions are subject to the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law, known as

PTELL. This law limits the amount of new tax dollars we can get to the CPI-U or 5%, whichever is lesser. The new tax cap limita-tion bill would allow us to increase our property tax levy extension only when the district’s overall equalized assessed valua-tion (EAV) increases.

In the past, D219 could expect its EAV to increase every three years, when Cook County conducts its triennial reassessment of properties. The EAV would increase by a sizeable percentage every three years, then would typically rack up smaller increases each of the next two years.

However, because of the economic slowdown, D219 has seen a declining EAV for the past two years. Under current circum-stances, legislation like SB 2073 would prohibit the district from receiving any additional money to fund increases in salaries, benefits, supplies and purchased services. What’s more, based on this bill, D219 would suffer from a permanent and com-pounding loss. Based on PTELL, this could equate to a loss of new revenue as great at $3 to $6 million in one year.

In addition, state officials have been considering proposals to shift some matching funds for teacher pensions from the state to the local (district) level. This would result in a significant financial liability to the district. Based on the state’s current calcula-tions, D219 would be required to incur $12.5 million of new costs to the district to help fund teacher pensions.

(Please note that, contrary to inaccurate media reports, our teachers currently contribute 9.4% of their salary to help fund their own pensions under the Illinois Teachers’ Retirement System, or TRS.)

Operating Expense Per Pupil (OEPP)We still have the challenge of addressing our growing Operating Expense Per Pupil, or OEPP. We have successfully slowed the growth of our OEPP while investing in many new programs. Comparisons of year-to-year actual costs show the result of our efforts on the following chart.

Debt and our Operating Fund BalanceOur projected operating fund balance at the end of FY12 is $145 million, which equals approximately one year of expenses. We spend $10- to $12 million a month. At the same time, we carry $163 million in long-term debt.

ACT Assessment, Graduating Class of 2011

25

20

15

10

5

0

D219

State

Composite English Math Reading Science

22.1

20.9

22.1

20.6

22.5

20.921.4

20.821.8

20.7


Our revenues exceeded expenditures in FY09 and FY10. Last year, expenditures exceeded revenue by approxi-mately $3.2 million. Because we restructured our al-lowed debt, we were able to continue to build our fund balance in FY11.

Our projections show our expenditures exceeding rev-enue in the years to come, based on the Congressional Budget Office’s forecast for CPI-U and our current rates of spending. For next year, FY13, and future years, our goal is to establish a budget that is congruent with new revenue. Under this scenario, we will be able to maintain our fund balance.

A fund balance is important because it allows us to pay our bills when collections are late, offset debt in our to-tal debt/equity ratio and fund future capital projects and emergency life safety needs. Unfortunately, if proposed legislation becomes law, we might need to use our fund

balance to pay for TRS pensions and to offset the effect of new tax cap limitation laws. If both laws passed as proposed, the new mandates could cost D219 as much as $19 million in one year.

On the subject of debt, D219 has a larger amount of debt than many districts: $163 million. This is offset by our fund bal-ance – allowing our bond rating to remain strong. We’ve all heard about the downgrading of the federal government’s bond rating. We’re currently doing better than the feds, but this is only because of our Board of Education’s sound fiscal management. We have a Standard & Poor’s bond rating of AA, which allows us to restructure debt and gain access to capital more readily with a low rate of interest. The rating allows us to invest in our buildings and mitigate emergent life safety issues. The high bond rating is attributable to the low risk associated with buying D219 bonds.

Our strong bond rating gives us greater financial flexibility. Contrast our AA rating with that of a school district that has a lesser A+ rating (as many in the area have). Over the lifespan of a typical bond issue, on a $10 million bond, D219 will save $1.2 million in interest, compared with a district with an A+ rating.

D219 has a strategy to meet our building needs and provide the best instructional opportunities for every student without going to a referendum to ask taxpayers to increase our taxing rates. We are working hard to build community support by spending more efficiently, particularly as evidenced by the the slowing growth of our OEPP. We have been strategic in our efforts to maintain the district’s bond rating, the key to minimizing future borrowing costs and protecting access to capital. We are keeping our eye on the long game to make sure that our teachers are able to work in a financially-stable environment.

If you have a question or concern about how we are running your public high schools, I want to hear from you. You can call me directly at 847-626-3960.

With prudent financial planning and continued teaching excellence, D219 aims to show the rest of the nation that public schools work!

Sincerely,

Dr. Nanciann GattaSuperintendent

Fiscal Year OEPP % increase2008 $20,650 12.31%2009 $21,988 6.48%2010 $22,489 2.28% *2011 $22,915 1.89%

*First year results of the Annual Review of Programs

Operating Expense Per Pupil

2012D219 Five-Year Plan Report

EDITORJim Szczepaniak [email protected]

DESIGNKaryn Malench [email protected]

SUMMER 2012 27

FINANCIAL REPORT

Expenditures FY ‘11 %Educational $83,345,515 59.4% Operations/Maintenance 16,989,738 12.1%Debt Services 24,398,843 17.4%Transportation 4,313,634 3.1%IMRF/FICA 3,357,697 2.4%Capital Projects 106,800 0.1%Tort 3,241,656 2.3%Life Safety 4,466,051 3.2%Total Expenditures $140,219,934 100.0%

Educational Fund Expenditures FY ‘11 %Salaries $58,735,732 70.4%Employee Benefits 11,210,695 13.5%Purchased Services 3,321,728 4.0%Supplies/Materials 3,101,480 3.7%Capital Outlay 1,360,970 1.6%Other Objects 5,544,040 6.7%Termination Benefits 70,870 0.1%Total $83,345,515 100.0%

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has been monitoring the financial condition of school districts since 1988. ISBE’s School District Financial Profile summarizes a school district’s total financial profile by examining financial profile indicators such as Fund balance to Revenue ratio and Expenditure to Revenue ratio. For the past seven years, District 219 has received the highest rating given by ISBE, that of Financial Recognition. Districts that achieve this designation require little or no review by ISBE.

District 219 was awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association and a Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Association of School Business Officials International (COE). This is the 11th consecutive year District 219 has earned the highest recognition for school district financial reporting offered by GFOA and ASBO. This recognition is only awarded to districts that have met or exceeded the stringent standards of the program. The COE confirms the district’s commitment to financial accountability and trans-parency.

local sources

federal

educational

salariesbenefits

other

debt servicesopera

tions

state

Revenues FY ‘11 %Local sources: Property taxes $116,422,494 78.7% Replacement taxes 4,855,123 3.3% Interest 2,818,977 1.9% Other 2,562,142 1.7%State sources: State aid 6,249,614 4.2% TRS On-Behalf receipt* 10,981,376 7.4% Federal sources 4,131,423 2.8%Total Revenue $148,021,149 100.0%*The State of Illinois, not the district, makes this contribution to the Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) to help fund teachers’ pensions. Although D219 is required by law to report these dollars as revenue, this money does not stay in the district to be used for educational programs.


Non-ProfitOrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDPermit #853

Pewaukee, WI

District 2197700GrossPointRoadSkokie,Illinois60077

Documents

D219 5 Year Plan - Year 3