Glenbard District 87 Board of Education meeting highlights (4-13-2026)

Board Highlights feature a brief description of the action items and discussion items on the meeting agenda. Board Highlights do not replace minutes. The minutes are approved by the Board and posted after the next regularly scheduled Board meeting. Present: Tod Altenburg, Jay Bastian, Margaret DeLaRosa, Martha Mueller, Pete Nolan and Jim Shannon. Absent: Hetal Lee.

SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT:

1. Glenbard East Symphonic Band has been selected to perform at the historic Illinois Superstate Band Festival on Saturday, May 9.  Having an invitation extended to perform at this festival is really the top honor in the state and we could not be more proud of our students! More information about the festival and invited ensembles can be found here: https://www.bands.illinois.edu/2026-superstate-accepted
   It really takes a village for an ensemble like the one we have now to thrive, and we very much appreciate the supportive environment that Glenbard provides for our program and students!
      
2. Our fine arts departments and students are hard at work preparing for their spring theater productions. We encourage community members to attend these wonderful performances:
   Radium Girls from April 16-18 at Glenbard West
   Metamorphoses from April 23-25 at Glenbard East
   Peter and the Starcatcher from April 23-25 at Glenbard North
   All Shook Up from April 23-25 at Glenbard South
      
3. On March 17, six Glenbard South students demonstrated strong civic engagement by serving as election judges during the recent Election Day. In this role, students assisted voters and supported polling place operations, gaining valuable firsthand experience in the democratic process. We commend these students for their commitment to public service and for representing Glenbard South with professionalism.
      
4. On April 9, the College of DuPage hosted a Welding Kickoff Event for students and families participating in the Dual Enrollment Welding cohort. The President of COD, Dr. Siddiqi, delivered welcoming remarks, students received COD swag bags, and attendees had the opportunity to tour the welding lab. Students will start taking classes on Wednesday nights in the fall of 2026. Dr. Rebecca Sulaver represented District 87 at the event.  
      
5. On April 10, the Glenbard North art program hosted its Empty Bowls fundraiser, inviting the community to support both local artists and neighbors in need. Organized by the National Art Honor Society and Culinary 2 students, the event was a resounding success. 100 percent of the proceeds were donated directly to local food pantries.
      
6. We have had a few false lockdowns initiated through our phone system. In order to have a way to lockdown the school quickly, we needed to design a system that allowed for the lockdown to be initiated from numerous locations in the school. Emergencies require quick response and technology was designed to meet this need through the existing phone system.
   Unfortunately, we have had some false alarms. We are working with the system designer and gathering feedback from the schools to identify features that would reduce the false alarms and increase the quality of information sent to building administrators when the alarm is triggered. While the false alarms have been a disruption and frustrating, we know we need to work hard to get the technology just right in order to know about and respond to emergencies properly.
      
7. This past weekend, Glenbard North served as the central collection site for the Rotary Club of Carol Stream’s annual Community Food Drive. On April 11, community members delivered non-perishable food and household donations that were sorted and distributed to six local food pantries serving Carol Stream residents. The event reflected the strong partnership between Glenbard and the Carol Stream community in supporting families in need.
      
8. We encourage community members to attend the GPS Parent Series events noted below. Details and webinar links are available at GPSparentseries.org.
   • April 15 at noon and 7 p.m. – Never Give Up On Kids: How to Go from End-of-Your-Rope to Hope
   • April 16 at 6 p.m. – in-person at Glenbard North, presented in Spanish – A Framework to Help Your Child Reach Their Full Potential
   • April 20 at noon and 7 p.m. – Brace Yourself For an AI Future
   • April 22 at noon and 7 p.m. – Raising Calm Kids in a World of Worry: Tools to Ease Anxiety and Overwhelm

THE BOARD APPROVED:

– the March 23, 2026 regular meeting minutes and closed session minutes.

– invoices for payment.
April 13, 2026
Education Fund                                     $1,827,961.93
Operations & Maintenance Fund  $    131,327.84
Debt Service                                           $                  0.00
Transportation                                        $   441,360.51
Capital Projects                                     $   100,555.17
IL Munic. Retire/Soc Sec.                 $                  0.00
Interim – Checks                                   $     187,109.21
Interim – Wire Transfers                     $5,028,429.67
TOTAL                                                        $7,716,744.33

– March 5, 2026 and March 20, 2026 total payrolls.
March 5, 2026                                        Gross Payroll            Net Payroll
Education Fund                                     $4,734,465.75          $2,807,915.81
Operations & Maintenance Fund  $       47,822.47           $      28,773.99
Transportation Fund                            $         1,633.38           $            879.40

March 20, 2026                                      Gross Payroll            Net Payroll
Education Fund                                     $4,916,321.83          $2,934,003.42
Operations & Maintenance Fund  $       44,451.46          $       26,081.08
Transportation Fund                            $         1,633.38          $              879.98

Total Payrolls                                          $9,746,328.27          $5,798,533.68

– the following personnel items:
LICENSED STAFF – EMPLOYMENT:
Name                                 School/Position                                                    FTE                 Effective Date
Bribiesca, Jessica      South/FaCS Teacher (rehire)                        50%                08/10/2026 
Campos, Tanya            West/School Nurse (rehire)                           90%                08/10/2026
Carrillo Rosal, Irene    West/World Language Teacher (rehire)   100%              08/10/2026
Clemens, Corrie           West/Library-Media Specialist (rehire)     65%                08/10/2026
Heino, Linda                   East/School Psychologist (rehire)              20%                08/10/2026
Khan, Malaika               South/School Counselor (rehire)                 50%                08/10/2026
Khan, Malaika               West/School Counselor (rehire)                   50%                08/10/2026
Killingham, Tonja         East/Dean of Students                                     100%              07/28/2026
Li, Ying                              North/World Language Teacher (rehire)   60%                08/10/2026
Luif, Jaclyn                     Transitions/Special Ed. Teacher (rehire)  100%              08/10/2026
McCann, Carrie            North/Physical Ed. Teacher (rehire)           100%              08/10/2026
Onchuck, Barbara       Directions/School Counselor (rehire)        40%                08/10/2026
Scanlan, Rachel           North/ELL Teacher (rehire)                             65%                08/10/2026
Shedbalkar, Shaheen  Directions/Social Worker Interven. (rehire)   60%         08/10/2026
Talarico, Marissa          North/Speech Arts Teacher (rehire)            45%                08/10/2026
Torres, Jordan               East/English Teacher (rehire)                        80%                08/10/2026
Torres, Jordan               South/English Teacher (rehire)                     20%                08/10/2026
Wells, Laura                    West/EL Teacher (rehire)                                 90%                08/10/2026
West, Danielle               West/FaCS Teacher (rehire)                           25%                08/10/2026
Windle, Kerry                 North/School Nurse (rehire)                           90%                08/10/2026

LICENSED STAFF – CHANGE OF POSITION:
Name                               School/Position                                                       FTE                 Effective Date
Babbitt, Melissa        DO/Assistant Superintendent,                        100%              07/01/2026
                                                   Teaching & Learning                                  

SUPPORT STAFF – LEAVE OF ABSENCE:
Name                              School/Position                                                          Term                           Reason
Schmidt, Jamie        DO/HR Confidential Specialist       04/07/2026-07/03/2026      Personal

LICENSED STAFF – RESIGNATIONS & TERMINATIONS:
Name                              School/Position                                                                                                  Effective Date
Haney, LeViis             DO/Assistant Superintendent, Teaching & Learning                    06/30/2026
Travis, Ernest             East/Dean of Students                                                                               06/02/2026

SUPPORT STAFF – RESIGNATIONS & TERMINATIONS:
Name                                 School/Position                                                                                              Effective Date
Farrell-Moroni, Erin    Transitions/Special Education Assistant                                        05/22/2026 

– accepting the following donations: Anonymous, $1,000.00 for girls basketball sectionals tickets at South. Reliacare Ltd., $1,200.00 to the DECA chapter at East. Glenbard East Feeder Sports Program Inc., $1,500.00 to Rams basketball at East. 

– five excursions.

– Parents Alliance Employment Project. Glenbard District 87 has partnered with Parents Alliance Employment Project (PAEP) to provide support and links to the students in our Transition Programs (Southern and Northern sites). Employment supports include job training, placement, interviewing and job shadowing. In the last few years, a larger number of students have been dependent on employer-paid jobs in the area. As we move forward with PAEP, they will include training for our staff on job coaching duties and practices that remove barriers to independent employment. PAEP also agreed to work with us, without a large increase, at both sites as we increase our programs. This contract represents a one-percent increase from the prior year’s contract (increase in this renewal is due to benefits and personnel cost only) to $145,800 in 2026-2027 through 2027-2028. No increase will occur during the second year of the contract, therefore renewal for two years is more efficient.

– Connect Academy agreement. In response to severe discipline and in lieu of expulsion, schools offer alternative education to students. The Connect Academy agreement allows us to offer appropriate education to these students at a school titled ReConnect Academy. ReConnect Academy offers specialized, alternative education for 40 general education students.

This partnership will offer a supportive and restorative environment which includes counseling, English learner support and post-secondary/career planning. The program was designed to foster student growth, accountability and academic progression, at a total annual cost of $792,000.

– appointment of community member to board committee. The Board of Education solicited names of community members who would be willing to serve on Board committees until the term expires on April 30, 2027. From those appointed in May, one member of the Finance & Facility Committee has since been appointed to the Board of Education. The Board formally appointed the following community member to the Finance & Facility Committee:

Committee                                               Citizen                          Administration Liaison
Finance & Facility Committee        Colleen Henes          Seth Chapman

– horticulture lease addendum 2026-27. Since the 2015-16 academic year, the DuPage Area Occupational Education System (DAOES) has partnered with Glenbard’s Transition Programs to utilize the greenhouse as a vocational training site at the Technology Center of DuPage. The agreement, formally initiated in 2016-17, covers essential operational costs including utilities and maintenance for one year. This renewal rate of $10,123.55 reflects a 2.7-percent increase over the 2025-26 contract and ensures continued cost-effective workforce preparation for our students.

BOARD INFORMATION/DISCUSSION ITEMS INCLUDED:

– awards and recognitions. Congratulations to the Transition Program students who recently won the state championship in Special Olympics of Illinois Basketball.

• Sam Bucaro, Mia Foster-Simbulan, Isaiah Hayes, JJ Holder, Ivan Khiev, Luke Perry, Payton Perry, Misha Rivera, Cameron Santos and Kelly Webb.
• Head coach: Justin Payne. Assistant coaches: Dustin Guevara and Thomas Hoder.

– Mireya Vera Educational Equity Award. The Mireya Vera Educational Equity Award honors the memory and legacy of former Board of Education member Mireya Vera’s dedication to educational equity. The Mireya Vera Educational Equity Award is presented to one staff member in each building who exemplifies Ms. Vera’s qualities and values.

The award criteria that these four individuals modeled and exemplified includes:

• Fiercely advocating for opportunities for every student
• Connecting, valuing and giving high esteem to all families
• Valuing the language, culture and heritage of every student
• Professional, respectful, but deliberate and persistent in advocating for underserved and underrepresented students
• Intentional and innovative in helping students and families
• Authentically demonstrates many Glenbard Profile of an Educator attributes.

Congratulations to the following award recipients:

• Tabitha Yi – Glenbard East English teacher
• Josh Sanew – Glenbard North math teacher
• Rebecca Gauna – Glenbard South social studies teacher/EL coordinator
• Mike Neberz – Glenbard West school counselor

– master plan capital projects update. In April 2024, the District 87 received approval for a $183 million referendum. This will contribute to a minimum of $312 million of capital project improvements over the next decade. We have received bids for projects through bid release #6, which just broke ground over spring break. Quarterly, we will be presenting updates on our design and construction progress at the Finance & Facility Committee meeting. All Board members are encouraged to attend. The Board meeting featured a presentation reviewing our progress and timing for the upcoming projects on all four high school campuses.

– bid release #6 rebid. The rebid of the theater seating, theater platforms, theater lighting and power, performance A/V system, site concrete and paving, and landscaping were received on March 26, 2026.

Gilbane recommends the following based on the bid results and scope reviews:

• Six contractors for the West work in the amount of $4,527,772, plus an additional $90,072 for accepted alternates #2, #10, #12, #13 and #14 for a total of $4,617,844.
• Alternates #8, #9, and #11 were not accepted.
• We had previously budgeted these bid packages at $5,000,000, thus coming in at almost $400,000 lower than projected, with the accepted alternates.

Total bids for Gilbane recommended for approval for bid release #6 rebid is $4,617,844. Total recommended cost for bid release #6 now comes to $53,140,683.

– Glenbard West track resurfacing. Glenbard West’s track is in need of resurfacing. We have reached out to Midwest Track Builders and received a quote in the amount of $110,539.00 to install three coats of Seal-Flex mat. This price utilizes the State Buying program, similar to how we received quotes for the turf work at South and East the past two years. Resurfacing of West’s track was last performed in 2022, which was only two coats. The three-coat system is expected to last an additional 5-7 years. This price is less than the three-coat system that was completed at North in 2023.

– school safety update. District 87 continues to engage in regular and ongoing initiatives that maintain a safe school environment at all district facilities and campuses. In addition to our building threat assessment teams, we meet quarterly as a district threat assessment team as well. We work closely with our local police and fire as well as with the DuPage County School Safety Task Force. A brief presentation updated the Board on our process and ongoing work.

– policies & procedures for first reading & discussion. 7:150 Agency and Law Enforcement Requests (new name); 7:190 Student Behavior; 7:190-AP1 Student Handbook – Hazing Prohibited; 7:190-AP3 Guidelines for Reciprocal Reporting of Offenses Committed by Students (new name); 7:190-AP5 Use of Isolated Time Out, Time Out, and Physical Restraint; 7:190-AP8 Student Re-Engagement Guidelines; 8:30 Visitors to and Conduct on School Property; 8:30-AP1 Definition of a Child Sex Offender; and 8:30-E1 Letter to Parent Regarding Visits to School by Child Sex Offenders and 8:30-E2 Child Sex Offender’s Request for Permission to Visit School Property.

– Freedom of Information Act requests. By School Code, a Board of Education is to be informed at its regular meeting of any requests made under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the status of the district’s response. Here are the recent FOIA requests to which the district has responded:

DATE RECEIVED: 2/23/2026
REQUESTOR & COMPANY: Sheri Reid (SmartProcure)
REQUESTS SUMMARY: SmartProcure is submitting a commercial FOIA request to the Glenbard Township High School District No. 87 for any and all purchasing records from 11/25/2025 to current. The request is limited to readily available records without physically copying, scanning or printing paper documents. Any editable electronic document is acceptable.

The specific information requested from your record keeping system is:

• Purchase order number. If purchase orders are not used a comparable substitute is acceptable, i.e., invoice, encumbrance, or check number
• Purchase date
• Line item details (Detailed description of the purchase)
• Line item quantity
• Line item price
• Vendor ID number, name, address, contact person and their email address

DATE RECEIVED: 3/18/2026
REQUESTOR & COMPANY: CT Mills (Public Info Access LLC)
REQUESTS SUMMARY: Pursuant to applicable public records laws, I respectfully request electronic copies of any existing records identifying the employee(s) responsible for leadership, oversight, or coordination of the following functional areas at the district or central office level:

• Curriculum & Instruction / Teaching & Learning
• Career & Technical Education (CTE) and STEM
• English Language Learner (ELL)
• Technology / Information Technology / Computer Science
• Library / Media Services
• Core Academic Subjects, including:
  • English Language Arts (ELA)
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Social Studies

For any responsive existing record, please provide the following for the identified employee(s):

• Full Name
• Official Job Title
• District-Issued Work Email Address

If one employee is responsible for multiple areas, please indicate accordingly.

DATE RECEIVED: 4/2/2026
REQUESTOR & COMPANY: John Baloun
REQUESTS SUMMARY: I am requesting copies of any college transcripts maintained by Glenbard High School District #87 (specifically post Masters).