On Monday, September 12, the Board of Education met for the Committee of the Whole and Regular Board meeting where the following topics were discussed. 

• The Board recognized Chad Negley, Pastor of Parkview Church, with a Certificate of Recognition. Parkview Church partnered with OSD135 to host our Back to School Kick-Off Event in August.

• The High Point Library, along with Kristy Gilbert, Colleen Joyce and Kristin Beeler, were recognized for receiving the AISLE Exemplary School Library Award. High Point is only the second intermediate school to receive this award since its inception in 2018.

• The Teaching and Learning Department presented the Spring 2022 State Assessment Data Report. In 2022, 99% of students participated in the IAR. In most grades, students scored better in ELA compared to 2021 scores. The Math IAR scores have slightly decreased at some grade levels. The District is working to support math instruction by exploring more rigorous resources with the Math Curriculum that is currently being piloted in some classrooms.

• The Fiscal Year 2023 budget was approved by the Board.

• The Board discussed District transportation and the current issues buildings are facing. The GPS feature within the Ride360 phone app was discussed. The feature has been known to not update correctly which is why it has been temporarily turned off. It was proposed that the GPS function is turned back on in a pilot format for families to review its effectiveness.

• The Summer 2022 capital projects were reviewed. Center had its lower level remodeled as well as some outdoor concrete repaired. Orland Jr High also had some concrete replaced. Classrooms were built at Prairie to help accommodate enrollment. Looking towards the 2023 capital projects, Orland Jr High needs its air handler replaced as well as its entrance updated with new stairs and an ADA compliant ramp. High Point will also receive an update to its entrance, with a new ADA compliant ramp being installed. The District is also working on the possible additions to High Point, Liberty, Prairie, OJH and Centennial. The Board authorized the District to accept bids for these projects.

• The application window for the Board Advisory Committees closed on September 4, 2022. Applications are currently being blindly screened by stakeholders. Those who are selected for the Committees will be notified the week of September 19 and are expected to start serving on their committees in October.

• The District is excited to launch a new One District, One Book campaign during this school year. A committee, made up of Assistant Principals, teachers and media specialists presented on the campaign and provided a timeline of when students will start reading the book and the projects that will coincide with the readings.

On Monday, August 8, the Board of Education met for the Committee of the Whole and Regular Board meeting where the following topics were discussed. 

1. The Board discussed the student cell phone policy, specifically at the junior high level. It was discussed that students should have their cell phones turned off and put away unless authorized by staff. 

2. The Board Advisory Committee New Member process was reviewed with emphasis that the application for new committee members will be open from August 22nd through September 4th. The review process will then take place once the application process closes. New members will start their terms in October. 

3. The Substitute pay rate was discussed. The Board approved to increase the pay rate to $150 per day for substitutes, $14 per hour for STARS Program Assistants and $13 per hour for lunch/recess supervisors. 

4. ISBE and IDPH updated recommendations for COVID-19 protocols. The District will continue to follow their guidance. The recommendations can be found at the IDPH website. There will not be any COVID-19 metrics or contact tracing during the school year unless otherwise recommended. 

5. The tentative FY23 budget was reviewed. It will be on display at the District Office for the next thirty days before it will be up for approval at the September Board of Education meeting. 

6. The Village of Orland Park has requested that a weather siren be installed on the corner of Jerling Jr High. There is a siren already in place on the Village’s property nearby. The siren will be on District property but will be maintained by the Village. 

7. A presentation was reviewed regarding proposed building projects to help alleviate space issues throughout the District. The Board agreed that the District move forward with the bid process for additions at Prairie, Liberty and High Point with an alternate bid for an Orland Jr High fitness center. With this proposal the Self-Contained program will be permanently housed at Prairie and the Early Childhood program will remain at Centennial.

8. Superintendent John Bryk reviewed upcoming back to school events. For a full list of all the events, dated and times, visit the District website. 

The entire Committee of the Whole and Regular Board of Education meeting can be viewed by clicking here. The next Committee of the Whole and Regular Board meeting will be held on September 12, 2022 at the Administration Center. 

On July 11, 2022, the Board of Education met for the Committee of the Whole and Regular Board meeting where the following topics were discussed. 

1. The Board discussed the Board Advisory Committees and the process for integrating new committee members over the 2022-23 school year. An application will be sent out to all community members, parents and staff to apply for open positions within the committees during the middle of August.  The Teaching and Learning/Technology committee will consist of 8 members and the Policy, Personnel and Communications and the Finance and Operations Committees will have 6 members each. For more information regarding the Board Advisory Committees and the reviewing process, please visit the BAC website. 
2. The Teaching & Learning Department reviewed the summer activities that have taken place so far within the District. Over 400 students have attended different camps, including STEM, Coding, Creative Writing, Soccer and Volleyball so far with an additional 400 signed up for band, orchestra, cross country and choir camps in August.
3. Summer School and ESY (Extended School Year) programs kicked off on July 11 for Kindergarten through 7th grade students. 
4. The Leader in Me Summer Program is being introduced to junior high students this summer. The program is based on the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Sixty students who will be in junior high this upcoming school year are a part of the program taking place over the next 4 weeks. This is a new program introduced by the District with a goal to create supportive relationships between students and staff and a positive, strong educational community. All junior high students were invited to participate. 
5. The Village of Orland Park is replacing all weather sirens throughout the village. Meadow Ridge was selected as a new site for a weather siren that will be solar powered and will not interfere with school operations. 
6. The food service contract with Quest was approved for three years.  The District will return to regular food service starting with the 2022-2023 school year and will cost $4.00 per meal.
7. The District continues to work with Village of Orland Park representatives on the Cultural Center and Downtown Orland Park (DOP) Tax Increment Financing (TIF) proposals.
8. Superintendent John Bryk reminded community members that the National Night Out is on August 2nd and is hosted by the Orland Park Police Department. Community groups gather to celebrate and bring awareness to safety within the community. The event starts at 5 pm at the Civic Center in Orland Park and all are welcome to attend.

The entire Committee of the Whole and Regular Board of Education meeting can be viewed by clicking here. 

On Monday, April 11th, the Board of Education met for the Committee of the Whole and Regular Board meeting where the following topics were discussed. 

1. The Board provided an update on the Special Board Meeting that was held on April 4th, 2022. At that meeting, the Board conducted a self evaluation with a representative from the Illinois Association of School Boards regarding roles, responsibilities, and communication, specifically communication with all stakeholders. Documents from the training session can be viewed on the District 135 website. 
2. An update about the possible implementation of a junior high advisory period was discussed. After five meetings with the committee, which was made up of staff, parents, students and administration, a recommendation was not made to add an advisory period for the 2022-2023 school year. The committee and administration plans on taking additional time to review the advisory period, and other options similar to an advisory period, that are viable and beneficial for all students.
3. The Early Childhood (EC) and Self-Contained (SC) programs were reviewed by the Director of Special Education. All EC classrooms will be housed at Centennial School for the 2022-23 school year. This will allow consistent collaboration between team members, increased opportunity for cotherapy and fluidity between the EC programming for children. This will also open up additional student and staff space at Park school.  Due to enrollment and space challenges, three sections of the SC program will be housed at Prairie school and three sections will remain at Center school.  This adjustment will allow Center school to regain their art and music spaces for students and staff.
4. The Teaching & Learning Department provided a review of the District Consolidated Plan for this school year. This is a comprehensive report reviewing where the District can grow across the District within curriculum and student services. 
5. The Board of Education approved the Social Studies Techbook from Discovery Education as the new resource supporting our social studies curriculum for grades 6-8. 
6. A request for full time certified staff for the 2022-2023 school year was approved.  The District currently employs 466 full time certified staff members. For next school year, an additional two employees were added. The additional employees are for a self-contained teacher and a social worker. Enrollment numbers and Bilingual needs will be monitored in case an additional increase in staffing is needed. 
7. Superintendent John Bryk noted that Teacher Appreciation week is May 2-6. 
8. Junior High Graduation is on Sunday June 5th, 2022, at Sandburg High School, rain or shine. Tickets are only needed if the ceremony is moved indoors due to weather. Tickets are not needed for an outdoor ceremony. More information is being released from the junior high principals. 
9. The Inaugural Orland 135 Walk for Water fundraiser will be taking place from April 22 - May 12 at all three junior high schools. Students will be raising money to build wells for families in Uganda who do not have access to clean water.
10. The Board of Education approved the appointment of Lindsay Reipsa, current Centennial School Assistant Principal, as the new Center School Principal effective July 1, 2022.
11. The Board of Education approved the appointment of Lisa Weston, current Meadow Ridge Assistant Principal, as the new Meadow Ridge Principal effective July 1, 2022.

The entire Committee of the Whole and Regular Board of Education meeting can be viewed by clicking here. 

On March 14th, the Board of Education met for the Committee of the Whole and Regular Board meeting where the following topics were discussed. 

1. The Teaching & Learning Department gave a presentation regarding rigor in teaching and learning. They also reviewed the Junior High Social Studies Curriculum with Discovery Education. Please reach out to Katie Curtin, at 708-364-3325, if you would like to review the curriculum scheduled for approval at the Regular Board meeting in April. 
2. A five-year forecast of the District’s finances was presented by the Director of Finance, Tammy Maksa.  
3. The Board discussed the request for a proposal to outsource the custodial staff due to the labor shortage. The Board motion to move forward with the request for proposal did not pass.
4. The new 2022-2023 school year start times were approved. The new start time affects the Kindergarten-2nd grade (primary) buildings. With the schedule change, primary schools will start at 7:30 am -2:00 pm. This new start time will assist with the current bus driver shortage that is affecting all students with delayed buses arriving at school as well as returning students home after school. This will take effect for the 2022-2023 school year.
5. March is National Youth in Art Month. A video was presented with art pieces from the Orland Park Public Library which has a display with OSD135 artwork on it through the month of March. To view the video, click here or you can view the art pieces on display at the Orland Park Public Library through March 30th. 
6. Spring Break starts Monday, March 21st-25th. There will be no school during that week and all district buildings will be closed on Friday, March 25th.  Junior high students are invited to attend a free Open Gym at Century Jr High on Wednesday, March 23rd. The first session is from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm and the second session is from 12:30 - 2:30. It is free to attend and families can register their junior high students at the following link. 
7. Summer Camps will be held across the District in June, July and August. A Coding camp and a STEM camp will be added to the lineup this summer along with the other sports and musical camps. A list of camps, as well as dates and registration information, will be forthcoming. 
8. The Board approved the appointment of Jennifer Nichols as the Director of Curriculum starting July 1st, 2022 as well as Dana Karczewski as the Assistant Director of Curriculum starting July 1st, 2022. 
9. The Board approved the request to bid on High Point/Jerling/Orland Jr High construction projects.  To assist with the construction costs, the Board motion to abate available 2021 levy funds did not pass. 
10. The Board of Education tabled the motion of moving the EC program to Century Jr High. An offer came from the Village of Orland Park that is being reviewed regarding the use of the Cultural Center as the new Early Childhood Center. More discussion will be forthcoming.

The entire Committee of the Whole and Regular Board of Education meeting can be viewed by clicking here. 

On February 14th, the Board of Education met for the Committee of the Whole and Regular Board meeting where the following topics were discussed. 

1. The Teaching & Learning Department provided an update from the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) testing that took place over the winter. MAP is a growth assessment, not a mastery assessment, that provides teachers levels and standards that a student is ready to learn. All grade levels met or exceeded the projected district growth targets for math and reading. Families can view their child’s MAP scores by logging into their Family Skyward Access. Similar to accessing report cards, in Skyward click on the portfolio tab and click MAP 2021-2022.
2. A registration fee schedule was approved by the Board. Families are incentivized to register for the 2022-2023 school year as early as possible for class sizes and building assignments. Kindergarten registration for the 2022-2023 school year will open on February 22nd. Registration for current D135 families and residency verification will open on March 1st. Steps and information can be found on the Registration page of the District website. 
3. The Director of Buildings and Grounds, Mr. Rick Hansen, provided a proposed construction plan for High Point and Orland Jr High. In the proposal, High Point would add a gymnasium and three additional classrooms and OJH would add a fitness center to the north side of their current gym.  The estimated completion date of both projects would be the summer of 2023. The Board proposed that the Finance Committee discuss this further at their next meeting and the Board will resume this conversation at the March Regular Board of Education meeting. 
4. The FY 2021 Audit report was presented. The District ended the year with a fund balance of $47.9 million fund balance, an increase of $8.9 million over FY 2020.  The district also ended FY 2021 with a perfect financial score of 4.0. To view the report, families can visit the Business Page on the District website. 
5. Superintendent John Bryk reviewed the pick up and drop off procedures after a staff member was struck by a car last month. Issues ranged from cell phone usage, cars passing other cars, cars driving through bussing lanes, students being dropped off in incorrect places, cars cutting each other off, etc. The District is asking families to please follow all posted signs and have patience while picking up and dropping off their students. 
6. The Board reviewed a proposed school schedule change for next school year. The major adjustment is with the primary building school hours. The proposed new school hours would be 7:30 am - 2:00 pm. The change provides parents time to travel between schools to drop off students at different buildings. It will also help alleviate current transportation issues. The Board requested a survey be sent out regarding the schedule change before a decision is made. More information will be forthcoming. 
7. Director of Human Resources, Mrs. Suzanne Owens, provided a COVID-19 update. The District is continuing to monitor positive cases within the District. Contract tracing is no longer taking place within schools. If an outbreak occurs, the District will notify the Cook County Department of Publuc Health (CCDPH). An outbreak is defined as three or more linked cases in a group within 14 days of each other.  Depending on the number of students and possible testing results, the class may move to full remote depending on the CCDPH guidance. 
8. A public hearing was held at the beginning of the Regular Board meeting regarding the modification of Section 17-1.5 of the Illinois School Code pertaining to a waiver of administrative expenditure limitation. 
9. The Board approved the appointment of Dr. Dave Snyder as the new Associate Superintendent for District 135. Dr. Snyder is currently the Director of Curriculum and will begin his new position on July 1st, 2022. 

The entire Committee of the Whole and Regular Board of Education meeting can be viewed by clicking here. 

On Monday, January 10th, the Board of Education met for the Committee of the Whole and Regular Board meeting where the following topics were discussed. 

1. Director of Human Resources, Suzanne Owens, discussed CDC’s updated isolation and quarantine guidance. Mrs. Owens reviewed that the IDPH and ISBE are in the process of revising existing regulations and guidance.  The IDPH/ISBE has indicated that updated regulations and guidance documents will be released soon.  As of this email, the District will continue to follow the guidance in place prior to winter break, which is posted on the District website. More information will be forthcoming as it becomes available.
2. Public Act 102-0543 states School Districts must provide an opportunity for parents to voluntarily enter new data fields for gender identity and sexual orientation in regards to their children. The District is currently exploring how this data will be collected; implementation of this law goes into effect for the 2022-2023 school year.  Data collection will be for the entire student body and will be optional for parents to complete in a confidential and secure manner. More information will follow. 
3. The Teaching and Learning Department has been working on possibly implementing an advisory period at the junior high level. After having had four meetings*, the advisory committee is recommending that the advisory be 25-30 minutes in length. It would take place after the first period, between first and second period. It would be inclusive of SEL and academic support. This advisory period could potentially go into effect for the 2022-2023 school year. 
4. The possible E-Learning and Remote/Adaptive Pause learning options the District can implement due to inclement weather or COVID-19/safety issues were reviewed. Emergency/Snow Days may be used for health or safety hazards and, if used, would result in a day being added to the school calendar at the end of the year. The District can use an E-Learning Day in lieu of an Emergency/Snow Day in which the regular school schedule would be followed remotely online. If the District needs to close schools for multiple days in a row due to COVID-19, a Remote Learning/Adaptive Pause could be put into place. This must be done in consultation with CCDPH and may result in multiple days of E-Learning.
5. The District is hosting another Parent Education Series, similar to last year, regarding Social Emotional Learning. The series is completely remote and can be accessed by the District 135 Facebook page or the District website, on demand. For more information, please view the linked document. The first session will be on Thursday, January 13th at 6:00 pm. 
6. The current 2021-22 School Year Calendar has been amended.  The Non-Attendance Day has been moved from Tuesday, May 3, 2022 to Monday, May 2, 2022.
7. The 2022-23 School Calendar was approved. To view the 2022-2023 calendar, visit the District website. 

* It was previously communicated that three meetings were held but that was incorrect. Four meetings were held with the committee regarding the advisory implementation. 

On Monday, December 12th, the Board of Education met for the Committee of the Whole and Regular Board meeting where the following topics were discussed. 

1. The Board of Education discussed communication regarding positive COVID-19 cases within school buildings. Starting January 5th, schools will no longer continue to send out communication to all families regarding cases unless families opt-in to receive the phone calls, text messages and emails. If families would like to continue to receive notifications, a survey will be forthcoming in order to opt-in to the communication. All families and staff will continue receiving the weekly COVID-19 metrics, usually sent out on Monday mornings. 
2. The Board discussed hosting a COVID-19 vaccine clinic for students. The decision was made to move forward with hosting a voluntary COVID vaccine clinic specifically for OSD135 students. More information regarding the clinic and registration will be sent to families in the future.
3. Results from the  Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) Testing were presented. Students in grades 3 through 8 took the IAR in Math and English Language Arts in April 2021.  All grades in both subjects were above the state average.  Information on how the District is continuing to support student growth was also presented.  
4. The Board of Education approved the Substitute/Non-Union Pay Rates that will go into effect January 1, 2022.
5. The District received zero violations for the 3rd consecutive year during the recent Health/Life Safety Inspection - congratulations to all staff, especially our Buildings and Grounds staff!
6. Superintendent John Bryk reminded families that Tuesday, December 21st, the day before winter break, is an early dismissal for all students.  School will be back in session Wednesday, January 5th, 2022.  

The schedule for December 21 is as follows

• Early Childhood Program - No school
• Kindergarteners through 5th grade - 12:00 p.m. dismissal
• Grades 6 through 8 - 12:45 p.m. dismissal