July 29, 2024

At the July 23 Barrington 220 Board of Education meeting, the Board finalized its discussion regarding a potential referendum question on the November 2024 ballot. For the Board to place a question on the ballot, it must approve the question (dollar amount and projects) by August 19. The Board plans to vote at its next regularly scheduled meeting on August 13.

At the August 13 meeting, the Board will consider a $64 million referendum question. This is more than $10 million less than Option 3 ($75.5M), which was the preferred option by the community based on the past six months of significant community feedback. The $64 million question would include the following projects:

• New Auditorium at Barrington High School
• Safety and Security districtwide
• Music Rooms at BHS
• STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) labs at BHS
• Middle School Science Classrooms
• Fine Arts Classrooms at BHS
• Mechanical Systems
• Fine Arts Programming Enhancements at BHS
• Windows, Doors, and Flooring 

If the Board votes to approve the question on August 13, more detailed information about the projects will be shared following the meeting. Click here to listen to the Board discussion.

At the July 23 Board meeting, the Board heard a presentation about student attendance in Barrington 220. This has been an area of focus for the district as it has been a national challenge experienced by school districts nationwide over the past few years. The average daily percentage of Barrington 220 students attending school in 2024 was 94.5%. For the 2024-25 school year, the district will take the following steps to improve student attendance:

• Continue to streamline and optimize attendance policies and procedures across schools
• Analyze attendance trends across student groups and grade levels
• Increase opportunities to connect with students and families to support chronically absent and chronically truant students 
• Continue to provide unique learning opportunities and experiences that help make all Barrington schools a place where students want to be

Click here to listen to the full presentation.

In his Superintendent's Report at the July 23 Board meeting, Dr. Winkelman shared that the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to Barrington 220 for its annual comprehensive financial report for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023. The report was judged by an impartial panel to meet the program's high standards, which include demonstrating a constructive "spirit of full disclosure" to communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the report. The Certificate of Achievement is the highest recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting.