Community Consolidated District 181
At their virtual Monday meeting, board members
• thanked Superintendent Hector Garcia, principals, teachers, support staff and all district employees for their efforts while schools have been closed and students have been engaged in e-learning.
“We have never embarked on this journey before and I just wanted to thank the administration on behalf of the board and the community for jumping in head first and really problem solving and working through all the potential complications, pitfalls that have come up and handling everything in stride and delivering great content,” board Vice President Meeta Patel said.
• voted 6-0 to appoint Bill Cotter of Hinsdale to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of board President Bill Merchantz in February.
“I think in the history of D181, this is the first time we’ve ever given an oath for the office of board of education virtually,” Patel said.
• accepted 10 gifts from school PTOs, including donations of $514 for calming room equipment and $187 for equipment for applied tech from the HMS PTO, $999 from the Monroe School PTO for Apple Academy training for the media resource center director and $1,000 from the District 181 Foundation for the Superintendent’s Lighthouse Fund (for social-emotional learning).
• voted unanimously to release six teachers at the end of the school year. The group includes teachers hired mid-year to complete the year, part-time teachers and teachers in their probationary period (first three years of employment) who are being let go.
• confirmed with Garcia that he expects the next meeting of the board on Monday, April 6, also will be held online.
