Even school board meetings are better with cupcakes
When cupcakes are involved, any event can be considered a success.
A brief reception during the April 28 Glenbrook High Schools District 225 board of education meeting signified just that for its newest members, freshly elected Matt O'Hara and Michelle Seguin.
Normally cake is the celebratory option, Superintendent Dr. Charles Johns noted, but in these times cupcakes were deemed the safer choice.
In roughly the time it takes to ask, "Please pass the cupcakes," reelected board member Bruce Doughty was nominated and approved for another term as board president, and the same with Vice President Peter Glowacki. The board also quickly reappointed Dr. Rosanne Williamson as assistant superintendent.
Doughty congratulated the successful newcomers, Seguin and O'Hara, and saluted a community that came out and voted - at least about 21% of them according to the Cook County Clerk's office.
"Lots of people came out for it, there was lots of interest, and our democracy always works best when people are participating, getting informed, working together and moving forward together once an election has occurred and been certified," Doughty said.
"That's what we'll do as a board, that's what we'll do as a community, as a district, and we look forward to working with everybody here as well as outside this room as we pursue our common goal in educating their children as well as we possibly can."
Once the reception ended, O'Hara and Seguin contributed to a meeting undoubtedly more like what veteran board members Skip Shein, Dr. Marcelo Sztainberg and Joel Taub experienced pre-COVID. No earthshaking changes to be made, no huge decisions or dire warnings.
There were reminders of the pandemic. Glenbrook North principal Jason Markey and Glenbrook South principal Dr. Lauren Fagel both noted upcoming mental health first-aid programs for students.
Johns said COVID-19 vaccinations for 16- and 17-year-old students will be available in the now-familiar two-step process, May 14 and June 4; and May 21 and June 11. He said these are by appointment only and parents must provide consent during registration.
Jones said nearly 70% of Glenview residents had received at least their first COVID vaccination shot, 80% for Northbrook residents.
In another pandemic reminder, Fagel noted the Glenbrook musical, "The Addams Family," will be streamed to remote ticket buyers starting May 12. The musical features two separate casts, and will be streamed at 7 p.m. May 12-14 and at 2 p.m. May 15. A virtual seat costs $10 and can be had online at glenbrookshs.booktix.com.
Fagel noted that 1,250 students have been attending classes daily in-person, with 2,000 signed up for in-person learning. About 1,800 arrive on campus daily, she said, mainly due to athletics.
"The student participation has been through the roof," Fagel said.
Regarding business, the board returned to student fees. At a previous meeting associate superintendent Dr. R.J. Gravel had proposed a new policy that would wrap all registration and materials fees into one sum of $300. A Chromebook fee would remain at $100 payable for three years rather than four years for students in classes from 2022 through 2025.
User fees for driver's education, instrument rental and student parking all remained flat from 2020-21, but the regular bus transportation fee ($930), and the regular sibling rate ($465) each indicated 3% increases based on negotiations with First Student.
The district's preschool tuition fees and the board's financial fees are unchanged from 2020-21.