May 8, 2024

Second round of community feedback concludes this week

At the May 7 Barrington 220 Board of Education meeting, the Board heard an update on the referendum community engagement process. Last month district leaders met to refine a menu of possible projects and funding levels for a potential referendum question on the November 2024 ballot. District leaders used the data collected from the first community phone survey, online feedback survey, and community meetings held in March to refine the list. Click here to view the three refined options.

The district is currently gathering community feedback on the refined options through a second community phone survey conducted last week and a second online feedback survey that closes today. That data will be presented to the Board at its June 4 meeting.

In addition, the Referendum Advisory Committee held its second meeting last week, where committee members reviewed and discussed all data received during the first round of feedback. The committee will meet again on May 20 to learn more about the second round of community feedback collected this month and to finalize its recommendation to present to the Board on June 4.

As a result of the stakeholder feedback collected in February and March, the district became aware of interest in a potential field house project by some community members. The district has included a question in the current round of community feedback to understand if there is an interest in further studying a field house. It is important to understand that a field house would not be included in the projects on a potential referendum question in November 2024. Rather, the district may consider a multi-year architect-led study, community engagement sessions, etc., which may lead to placing a field house referendum question on a future ballot. Click here to listen to the presentation. 

During the referendum community engagement presentation, district leaders shared a conceptual video that shows what a new Fine Arts Center at BHS could look like. The 3D rendering is the final deliverable from the architectural design work included in the March 2020 $147 million referendum. Click the link above to view the video. 

Build 220 projects to be completed on time and under budget

At the May 7 Board meeting, the Board heard an update on the Build 220 initiative, which is nearing completion. Final projects that will be completed at BHS this summer include renovating the Hart Road Lot and Stadium Parking Lot, cafeteria, athletic department offices, athletic and student entrances, and mechanical upgrades. Due to construction, this summer the Main Street entrance will be the only entrance and exit to the campus. Construction is anticipated to be completed by the start of the 2024-25 school year.

Pending any unforeseeable costs that may arise during construction this summer, the $147 million Build 220 initiative is projected to be completed on time and under budget by approximately $3 million. In addition, about $3 million has been earned in interest since the bonds were issued. This means there is currently a $6 million surplus.

By law, surplus funds must be spent on projects consistent with the referendum question approved by voters in 2020. The Board will consider options over the next few months. Click here to listen to the presentation.

At the May 7 Board meeting, the Board approved three administrative hires. All will begin in their new positions on July 1.

Jeff Helberg will be the new Assistant Principal of Operations at Prairie Campus. He joins Barrington 220 from Elmhurst CUSD 205 where he currently works as a Dean of Students. He holds a bachelor's degree in History and Social Sciences from North Central College, a master's degree in School Leadership from Concordia University, and a master's degree in Curriculum & Instruction from Concordia.

Teresa Reiche will be the district's new Director of Safety & Security. Reiche has worked as Barrington 220's Assistant Superintendent for HR & Talent Acquisition since 2020. She previously worked as the district's Director of HR for six years. She holds a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from National Louis University, a master's degree in Teaching & Leadership from Saint Xavier University, a master's degree in School Leadership from Concordia University, and she is currently pursuing a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Concordia.

Joe Robinson will be the district's new Director of Innovation. He previously worked for Apple as a Leadership & Learning Executive. Before joining Apple, Robinson worked as Barrington 220's Director of Instructional Technology for five years. He holds a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education, with a Science minor from Cardinal Stritch University. He also holds a master's degree in Educational Leadership from Northern Illinois University.

At the May 7 Board meeting, the Board heard an update on the Barrington Transition Program, which is a vocational program serving students ages 18-22 years old who qualify for special education services and have been deemed appropriate to continue their education in the area of transition activities by their IEP team. Next school year the program will expand from its current 10 students to 22 students. Located on South Grove Avenue in a mixed-use office building, the program doubled its space this school year to utilize two separate suites for learning. The “apartment” suite includes a kitchen, living room, and bedroom allowing students to work on daily living skills. The new instructional suite offers space for group lessons and the BTP microbusiness. BTP students work at various local job sites based on their interests and goals for their future. If your business is interested in becoming a job site, contact Kat Romero, Director of Secondary Student Services, at kromero@barrington220.org. Click here to listen to the presentation.

At the May 7 Board meeting, the Board recognized Arnett C. Lines Elementary student Will Niwa, who received the 2024 Infinitec Outstanding Use of Assistive Technology Award. This honor is awarded to students who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in overcoming challenges and accomplishing personal goals using assistive technology. Will uses technology to support his vision. Click here to watch a video about Will!

In his Superintendent's Report at the May 7 Board meeting, Dr. Winkelman shared that Barrington High School has been named one of the best high schools nationwide in the 2024 U.S. News & World Report rankings. Nationally, BHS is ranked the 467th best high school in America. Locally, BHS is ranked the 20th-best high school in Illinois. BHS received a score of 97.36/100 based on the following criteria: number of students who took at least one AP Exam, number of students who passed at least one AP Exam, Math Proficiency, Reading Proficiency, Science Proficiency, and Graduation Rate. Click here to view the rankings.

In his Superintendent's Report at the May 7 Board meeting, Dr. Winkelman shared that Barrington 220's Business Services Department has received ASBO International’s Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting for its FY23 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report. The award reflects the district's commitment to transparency and high-quality financial reporting. Click here to view the award-winning report.

This week is National Staff and Teacher Appreciation Week. At the May 7 Board meeting, Board members and Dr. Winkelman thanked the Barrington 220 staff for their hard work and dedication. "Our staff is talented, dedicated, passionate, caring, kind, knowledgeable, and so much more," Dr. Winkelman said. "I wanted to let all our staff know how much we care about them."