Glenbard District 87 Board of Education meeting highlights (1-26-2026)

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: Jay Bastian, Margaret DeLaRosa, Kermit Eby, Hetal Lee, Pete Nolan and Jim Shannon. Absent: Martha Mueller.

SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT:

1. Glenbard North’s Indian Student Association proudly presents the 2026 India Night show: Desiverse, at 7 p.m. on January 30 & 31. As one of the largest cultural shows in the state, India Night has a long-standing tradition of presenting the beautiful culture of the Indian subcontinent. Join us for an unforgettable evening of music, dancing, singing and acting. Tickets are now on sale at this link.
     
2. Parents and guardians of eighth-graders participated in our schools’ informational nights this month. These events are an important opportunity for students and families to learn about the robust academic programs and extracurricular activities at each of our schools.
      
3. The Transition Program students are having another sale. This one allows staff to order Valentine’s Day gifts to be delivered to any Glenbard site. Please take a look at the great products they designed and made.
      
4. Glenbard Township High School District 87 has expanded halal meal options to all four high schools beginning January 20, building on the successful pilot program launched at Glenbard West in October. In partnership with OrganicLife, the district now offers a weekly rotation of halal-friendly items, including chicken tenders, beef hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, hamburgers, and cheeseburgers. The initiative was shaped through student focus groups and feedback and supports the district’s commitment to inclusivity and student well-being. Providing culturally appropriate meal options aligns with Glenbard’s Profile of a Graduate competency of embracing diversity and helps ensure all students have equitable access to nutritious school meals.
      
5. Glenbard East High School will host its annual One-Act Festival, Just a Bite: An Evening of Student-Directed One-Acts, featuring a series of mini plays. Performances will take place on Thursday, February 5, and Saturday, February 7, at 7:00 p.m. This showcase highlights student creativity and collaboration while providing hands-on experience in theatrical directing and production.
      
6. Glenbard District 87 will be hosting a financial aid application workshop for Class of 2026 students and their families on Monday, February 2. The event will run from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Glenside Public Library (25 E. Fullerton Avenue in Glendale Heights).
   During the workshop, families will receive support completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Alternative Application. ISACorps representatives will be available to answer questions, and Spanish-speaking representatives will also be on hand to assist families. This workshop helps fulfill the state’s financial aid application graduation requirement.
      
7. MVP pitches are underway in Dual Credit Entrepreneurship, with student teams presenting their venture ideas to professionals for feedback as they move from concept to early validation. Each pitch is designed to secure modest seed funding to test key assumptions through customer feedback and rapid experimentation. Teams will use the funds to develop and refine a minimum viable prototype, strengthening their business models as they prepare for their final pitch.
      
8. The district received the following donations: Anonymous, $100.00 to wrestling at South. Anonymous, $75.00 to wrestling at South. Anonymous, $105.00 to football at South. Lombard Juniors Philanthropic Fund, $250.00 for meeting and party supplies at East.
      
9. We encourage community members to attend the GPS Parent Series events noted below. Details and webinar links are available at GPSparentseries.org.

• January 27 at noon and 7 p.m. – Checked-Out / Stressed-Out: Moving Kids From Disengagement to Drive
• February 4 at noon and 7 p.m. – Superthinkers: Raising Tomorrow’s Leaders Today

THE BOARD APPROVED:

– the January 12, 2026 regular meeting minutes and closed session minutes.

– invoices for payment.
January 26, 2026
Education Fund                                      $1,131,008.99
Operations & Maintenance Fund   $     237,907.29
Debt Service                                            $                   0.00
Transportation                                        $     736,116.93
Capital Projects                                     $      166,127.22
IL Munic. Retire/Soc Sec.                 $         -2,124.00
Interim – Checks                                   $                    0.00
Interim – Wire Transfers                     $                    0.00
TOTAL                                                        $2,269,036.43                                                         

– the following personnel items:
LICENSED STAFF – EMPLOYMENT:
Name                               School/Position                                                   FTE                Effective Date
Munro, Kimberly       South/School Counselor (addtl FTE)        30%              01/05/2026
Urman, Frank             South/EL English Teacher (addtl FTE)     10%              01/05/2026   

SUPPORT STAFF – EMPLOYMENT:
Name                                                  School/Position                                                    FTE                Effective Date
Aviles Cisneros, Alejandro     West/Bldg Attendance Ofc Assistant        100%            01/12/2026

SUPPORT STAFF – POSITION CHANGE:
Name                              School/Position                                                       FTE                Effective Date
Berggoetz, Kristin    South/Career Resource Ctr Assistant         87.5%           01/14/2026
Campos, Caroline    North/Admin Asst to School Counseling   100%            01/20/2026
Tracey, Morgan          North/Building Registrar                                    100%            01/20/2026

LICENSED STAFF – RESIGNATIONS & TERMINATIONS:
Name                              School/Position                                                                  Effective Date
Bowser, Matthew     North/Assistant Principal of Athletics                     06/30/2026

SUPPORT STAFF – RESIGNATIONS & TERMINATIONS:
Name                            School/Position                                                                    Effective Date
Eike, Carrie               West/Special Education Assistant                             01/16/2026 

– four excursions.

– summer 2026 abatement work – Weaver Consultants Group. The summer 2026 capital projects will require asbestos abatement work at Glenbard North, Glenbard East and Glenbard West.

• Glenbard North – asbestos abatement of floor adhesive and epoxy tops.
• Glenbard East – asbestos abatement of floor adhesive, flooring, and caulking at the curtain wall.
• Glenbard West – asbestos abatement of floor adhesive, pipe insulation, epoxy tops and window caulking.

The low bidder for Glenbard North is Husar Abatement, Ltd. in the amount of $149,000, which includes one alternate and a $25,000 allowance. The total contract with Weaver Consultants would be $198,552, which includes Husar’s cost.

The low bidder for Glenbard East is Valor Technologies in the amount of $543,000, which includes an allowance of $75,000. The total contract with Weaver Consultants would be $705,960, which includes Valor’s cost.

The low responsible bidder for Glenbard West is Kinsale Contracting Group in the amount of $187,700, which includes alternate 1 and an allowance of $50,000. The total contract with Weaver would be $239,922, which includes Kinsale’s cost.

– Glenbard North & South, bid package #4 – recommendation to award for Gilbane (Wold design) and Performance Services Incorporated (PSI). Design and bidding have been completed for Glenbard North fine arts addition and interior renovations and Glenbard South interior renovations. Gilbane and PSI bids were received on December 17, 2025. The bleacher re-bid package was received on January 19, 2026.

Gilbane recommends the following based on the bid results and scope reviews: 17 contractors for the North and South work in the amount of $10,005,466, which includes acceptance of the alternate for stainless steel cabinet faces at South family and consumer science lab and the alternate for the balcony bleachers at North, plus an additional $750,000 budget for site services and $1,158,264 for insurance, bonding, staffing, and fees for a total of $11,913,730. Two alternates have been accepted and three alternates have not been accepted.

PSI recommends the following based on the bid results and scope reviews: 13 contractors for the mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) work on the North and South projects, totaling $7,136,064.

The combined total of all bids received is under the budgeted amount.

BOARD INFORMATION/DISCUSSION ITEMS INCLUDED:

– Glenbard South building report. Principal Sean Byrne and the South administrative team presented the Glenbard South board goals, including the following data:

• Overall Passing Rate
• Cs or Better Grade
• Rigorous Course Sequence
• SAT 1010+ / ACT 19+
• Early College Experience
• Early College Credit
• Post-Secondary Plan
• Athletics & Activities
• Staff Diversity

– Glenbard West, Bid Release #6 – recommendation to award for Gilbane (Wold Design) and Performance Services Incorporated (PSI). Glenbard North, Bid Release #4N-A – recommendation to award for Gilbane (Wold Design) and PSI. Design and bidding have been completed for the Glenbard West addition and interior renovations. Gilbane and PSI bids were received on January 14 and January 19, 2026.

Gilbane recommends the following based on the bid results and scope reviews: 20 contractors for the West work in the amount of $24,759,219, plus an additional $2,150,000 budget for site services and $3,494,815 for insurance, bonding, staffing and fees for a total of $30,404,034. The theatrical seating, landscaping, site concrete/paving and theatrical lighting bid packages are being re-bid. Alternates 01, 03a, 03b, 06, 07a and 07b have been rejected. Alternates 02, 04 and 05 are recommended for acceptance.

PSI recommends the following based on the bid results and scope reviews: nine contractors for the West mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) work in the amount of $18,197,154. Alternate 6.3A has been rejected. Alternates 6.2C and 6.4A are undecided at this time.

PSI also has bid the replacement and relocation of the generator for Glenbard North. PSI recommends approval in the amount of $864,382 for this work.

– master plan capital projects update. In April 2024, Glenbard 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 bid results of work through Bid Release #6, which will begin this spring. Quarterly, we will be presenting updates on our design and construction progress at the Finance and Facilities Committee meeting. All Board members are encouraged to attend.

The Board presentation reviewed progress and the timeline for design work for the upcoming projects on all four high school campuses.

– referendum finance plan – bond sale. In April 2024, the Glenbard District 87 community passed a referendum authorizing the issuance of $183 million in bonds. Last spring, we financed a $60 million bond issuance. After reviewing our most recent construction cash flow analysis with Gilbane Construction, we have developed a recommendation for the Board’s review in preparation for the District’s second bond sale.

During the Finance and Facilities Committee meeting on January 12, 2026, we discussed continuing the previous strategy of pursuing a negotiated bond sale which proved to be successful this past spring. The committee supported this approach. We continue to partner with PMA and Stifel on the bond sale. They were present at the January 26, 2026 committee meeting to provide a market update and a preliminary schedule of events to conduct a $75 million bond issuance in June 2026.

– financial projections for fiscal years 2027-2031. Each year, Glenbard updates its five-year financial projections for Board review and discussion. Financial projections provide the basis for the district to make key decisions regarding staffing, programs, capital investments, etc. while meeting Board financial objectives of: 1) balanced budget in operating funds; 2) solvency position, with objective of maintaining 180 days cash on hand; and 3) meeting our cash flow requirements without borrowing. The presentation highlighted our key assumptions and financial results for 2027-2031.

Enrollment for the 2025-26 school year was 14 students above the projected 7,695, coming in at 7,709 district-wide. When compared to the 2024-25 actual enrollment, there was a 134-student decrease district-wide. Future-year projections are expected to decline over the next several years. Based on new projections from Dr. Kasarda (updated December 2025), we forecast enrollment for next year, 2026-27, to be 7,590 students. We anticipate that by 2028-29, that number will decline to 7,395 students. Our licensed full-time employment (FTE) projections are based on these enrollment numbers.

This financial projection period will be more challenging to forecast than typical years. Districts across the state continue to see revenue decline across multiple categories. Additionally, we will see increases in transportation costs for next fiscal year based on our existing emergency contract. On the expenditure side, our largest category of expenses is our licensed staffing, as is typical. We are in the process of negotiating with the Glenbard Education Association (GEA) union representatives. While we are assuming “status quo”, these are simply placeholders for what will be determined through negotiations later this spring. This projection will serve as a comparative base for scenarios representing impacts to financial components of the contract.

We strive to maintain balanced budgets for fiscal year 2027 and we are confident this will occur. However, the five-year projection cycle will forecast a deficit in all future fiscal years. This intentional projection cycle allows us time to adjust our expenditures prior to the budget approval process this summer and early fall. Through this process, we will maintain adequate cash on hand to meet our obligations and maintain our solvency over the next five years. We have identified legislative and market risks to the model in the presentation.

– 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: 1/2/2026
REQUESTOR & COMPANY: Owen Wang (DuPage Policy Journal)
REQUESTS SUMMARY: Copies of all vendor contracts over $1,000 for the current school fiscal year.

   
DATE RECEIVED: 1/6/2026
REQUESTOR & COMPANY: David Arvayo (Painters District Council No. 30)
REQUESTS SUMMARY: I request the documents listed below for any properties owned, maintained, or operated by Glenbard Township High School District No. 87, including, but not limited to, schools, administrative buildings, or any other facilities owned or maintained by the school district built before January 1, 1978.

• A list of school district buildings that meet the criteria of this FOIA request.
• I request copies of all lead test results that have been performed in buildings covered by this FOIA request.
• If the school district or any of its schools are authorized by any federal or state agency to self-perform maintenance work on structures coated with lead-based materials, as defined by the Code of Federal Regulations (“lead-based paint” meaning paint or other surface coatings containing lead equal to or exceeding 1.0 milligram per square centimeter or 0.5 percent by weight), I request copies of all authorization documents issued by the relevant agency.
• If any school district staff have participated in work activities that could disturb surfaces coated with lead-based paint, and it was determined that such work was conducted following the Environmental Protection Agency’s Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Program, I request a copy of all EPA-required records for the related projects.
• A list of school district staff authorized to work around lead-based hazards in buildings subject to this FOIA request, along with the training certifications they hold for protection against such hazards.
• If any school district staff have received Blood Lead Level (BLL) or Zinc Protoporphyrin (ZPP) tests, I request copies of those test results.
• If any lead abatement contracts have been awarded for buildings that meet the criteria of this FOIA request, I request copies of all related contracts.

   
DATE RECEIVED: 1/13/2026
REQUESTOR & COMPANY: Eric Mikucki
REQUESTS SUMMARY: Disciplinary records of Eric Mikucki.

   
DATE RECEIVED: 1/14/2026
REQUESTOR & COMPANY: Bill Meyer
REQUESTS SUMMARY: Please provide complete and unredacted copies of the following records relating to burglar alarm, fire alarm, and closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems installed, monitored, maintained, inspected, serviced, or otherwise provided for facilities owned, leased, or operated by the public body:

1. All agreements, contracts, amendments, addenda, renewals, extensions, task orders, purchase orders, or memoranda of understanding concerning:
   • Burglar / intrusion alarm systems
   • Fire alarm and life-safety systems
   • CCTV / video surveillance systems

           This request includes, without limitation:

• Master service agreements and site-specific agreements
• Exhibits, schedules, scopes of work, pricing schedules, rate sheets, and appendices
• Any documents incorporated by reference into such agreements

2. All invoices, billing statements, payment requests, or draw submissions associated with the above-referenced systems for the most recent full calendar year, including:

• Itemized invoices
• Supporting documentation submitted with invoices
• Payment approvals or processing records, if maintained

Timeframe – Unless otherwise stated above, this request includes:

• All agreements in effect at any time during the most recent full calendar year, regardless of original execution date; and
• All invoices issued or paid during the most recent full calendar year.