April 2025 Board of Education Report

This Board of Education meeting was held in the boardroom at 2801 York Road, Oak Brook, Illinois 60523; the regular meeting place. The public can attend Board of Education meetings in person, access an audio livestream of the meeting on the District’s website, or listen to meeting recordings that are uploaded to the District’s website within the meeting week.District Updates

Brook Forest Elementary School Playground: $350,000 PTO Donation
The Board of Education unanimously approved the acceptance of a $350,000 donation from the Butler D53 PTO to fund equipment for a new inclusive playground at Brook Forest Elementary School. This generous contribution surpassed the PTO Playground Committee’s original fundraising goal of $256,115.

During the meeting, members of the PTO Playground Committee and the PTO President presented the Board and Superintendent with a symbolic 3×5 cardboard check, celebrating the success of this meaningful initiative. Superintendent O’Malley expressed sincere appreciation for the PTO’s commitment and enthusiasm, sharing his excitement about the impact the inclusive playground will have on both students and the broader community. Board members also conveyed their deep gratitude for the PTO’s exceptional fundraising efforts, strong community engagement, and unwavering dedication to student well-being.

The Board will review the financial specifics at the upcoming Finance Committee meeting on May 9, 2025, at 9:00 AM. Further planning and next steps will be discussed in future meetings.

The Board of Education has completed its annual performance evaluation of Superintendent Dr. Paul O’Malley. Based on the positive outcome of the review, the Board approved a one-time performance-based stipend in recognition of Dr. O’Malley’s leadership and accomplishments.

School and Department Updates

Principal Andrea Prola updated the Board of Education on Brook Forest Elementary’s continuing instructional goals and upcoming student events.
The school continues to incorporate instructional technology into infrastructure and staff training. Instructional Team members are providing faculty with new strategies to integrate these tools into STEAM lessons. To support onboarding for the 2025–2026 school year, administrators are meeting with staff to outline the main concepts and practices that will be shared with new team members.

Teachers are collaborating to integrate the new Social Studies curriculum with the 2024 State Literacy Plan. Cross-curricular planning has helped align reading and writing instruction with Social Studies content. Also, the instructional team is meeting with grade-level teams to review state standards, action plans, and literacy resources. To prepare for the year ahead, faculty are evaluating materials for potential pilot programs.

To support student well-being, teachers are identifying evidence-based social-emotional learning (SEL) strategies to implement in Guidance and all-school lessons next year. Professional development is still a priority, with staff sharing insights from external coursework and participating in weekly team meetings to support growth and utilization of new strategies.

• Week of 4/7 – ISA Testing (Grade 5)
• 4/10 – Wheel of Wisdom Assembly
• 5/1 – Moana Musical (Grades 4 & 5)
• 5/2 – Heart Healthy Assembly
• Ongoing – Playground Donation Incentive Program

Principal Dr. John Hamilton provided an update on Butler Junior High’s recent initiatives and upcoming events aligned to the district’s strategic goals.

Teachers continue expanding their use of technology in the classroom. This includes the integration of virtual learning opportunities like a recent 7th-grade virtual field trip to the National WWII Museum. The experience tied directly to the Language Arts curriculum and supported enriched engagement with the novel Codetalkers. To support the district’s communication goals, Butler Junior High implemented a new pre-screening visitor system using Verkada. Principal Hamilton also shared timely updates with families regarding IAR testing in early April. Staff participated in professional development aimed at triangulating common assessment and standardized testing data, with new strategies for upcoming PLC and faculty meetings.

The school community recently celebrated Assistant Principal Appreciation Week, honoring Ms. Leah Carter with spirit week activities. Students are participating in “Camp Read”, a month-long challenge to promote schoolwide reading. Meanwhile several BPA students prepare to represent the school at the National Leadership Conference in Orlando this May. Spring events include IAR testing, the ISA for 8th grade, the school musical The Little Mermaid, and a full slate of athletics including: soccer, track, and swimming—all supported by dedicated coaches and staff.

• 4/7–5/5 – Camp Read All-School Reading Challenge
• 4/16 – ISA Science Assessment (Grade 8)
• 4/23 – The Little Mermaid (Matinee for Grade 5)
• 4/24 – The Little Mermaid Spring Musical Performance (6:30 PM)
• 5/7–5/11 – National BPA Leadership Conference (Orlando, FL)
• Spring – Soccer, Track, and Swimming Seasons in Progress

Student Services Department

The Student Services team hosted the 4th annual IEP/504 Parent Bootcamp Meeting on March 25. The topics discussed included Transition Planning, Spring Testing, and strategies for supporting students during school breaks. Parents who were unable to attend can request a copy of the presentation from their child’s case manager. A follow-up survey will also be shared to gather parent feedback on future topics of interest for the 2025–2026 school year.
Transition meetings for PreK, 5th, and 8th grade students with IEPs and 504 Plans are currently taking place. These meetings are intended to support smooth transitions between grade levels and buildings while leaving students and families feeling confident and prepared.

Students in sixth and eighth grade recently participated in SEL programming provided by DuPage NAMI during their PE classes. Sixth graders attended “Jump Into Mental Health,” an introductory program focused on mental wellness. While eighth graders participated in “Ending the Silence 101,” which covered mental health emergencies, warning signs, and provided strategies on how to seek help for themselves or peers.

In March, the district celebrated Social Workers Week. The district honored social workers Kim Bayer (BJH) and JoAnn Cikowski (BF) for their outstanding dedication and support of student well-being. Congratulations also goes out to Kathryn Harrington, Early Childhood/BJH Special Education Teacher, for completing her Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction.

Paraprofessionals took part in professional development focused on fostering student independence using the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) framework. The training emphasized how to support students within the space between independent performance and guided assistance. This proves critical to academic, behavioral, and social-emotional growth in special education.

Butler School District 53 is making great progress toward its goal of implementing unified and consistent core competencies across all subject areas, including Social-Emotional Learning (SEL). Teachers in K–8 Science, STEAM, and K–5 ELA are currently reviewing instructional resources for a potential pilot program set to begin in the 2025–2026 school year. The Brook Forest Literacy Team is actively engaged in aligning literacy resources to state standards. The district’s collaboration with Northwestern University’s Center for Talent Development is ongoing and supports advanced learner programming.

As part of community feedback efforts, Butler SD 53 achieved strong participation in the 5Essentials Survey. Student response rates were 96% at Brook Forest and 98% at Butler Junior High. Teacher response rates were also high with 82% at Brook Forest and 93% at Butler Junior High. Parent participation was 9% and 11%, respectively. Additionally, the district’s Summer Bridge Program partnership with District 181 expanded to include eligible students in grades 3–5 to further strengthen learning pathways.
The district continues to evaluate and refine its use of educational technology. The SY25–26 Digital Core Resource plan incorporates a streamlined suite of digital tools aligned to budget categories, curriculum areas, special education, ELL, SEL, and more. Underutilized software has been removed in accordance with stakeholder feedback and usage analysis. The result was an estimated savings of $80,000 (32%) in software expenditures for the upcoming school year.

Expanding professional development is still a key initiative. A districtwide survey was shared with staff to help plan FY25–26 offerings. To date, 29% of staff have responded. The goal is to tailor professional learning to individual teacher interests while vitalizing peer leadership in areas such as technology, engagement, and differentiation. These efforts reflect the district’s ongoing focus on academic excellence, educator growth, and student success.

Brook Forest:

• IAR Testing Support – PTO provided snacks for 5th-grade students during IAR testing.
• Annual Bike Rodeo – Scheduled for May 15 after school, this bicycle safety event is hosted by the Oak Brook Police Department to teach students how to ride safely through their neighborhoods. We’re hoping for sunny skies!

Butler Junior High:

• 8th Grade Graduation – Planning is underway! Families of 8th graders should continue checking email for important updates.

Boosters:

• Drama
  • Brook Forest: Moana Jr. – The presale deadline for Petite Flower Congrats Bouquets has been extended to April 18.
  • Butler: The Little Mermaid Jr. – Presale deadline for Bouquets and Shout-Outs also extended to April 18.
  • Both Productions – Will feature a concession stand with treats available for purchase.
• Sports
  • Butler participants continue to receive carabiners and magnets as part of Booster support.
• Music
  • The Butler Band and Choir Banquet will be held May 12 at Papa Passero’.

District Events & Fundraisers:

• Family Night – Chicago Wolves Game – Thank you to all who attended! It was a great night, featuring a performance by the Butler Band and Choir. Two lucky students won a ride on the Zamboni. Special thanks to Funke Pickering for organizing.
• Family Carnival – April 25 – A fun night of games, prizes, and attractions is in the works! Details are being shared in weekly school and PTO emails—stay tuned for updates.
• 2025 Auction – Get ready to bid! Proceeds support PTO-funded activities, enrichments, and future projects, including a potential playground.
• Family Golf Outing – Open to all Brook Forest and Butler families. Enjoy a fun, non-competitive outing at Oak Brook Golf Club. Only 16 foursome tee times are available—register soon!

Next PTO Meeting: Final General PTO Meeting – May 9 at 9:00 AM via Zoom. We will be voting to elect the 2025–2026 Executive Board.

Upcoming Board of Education Meetings

• June 14, 2025 at 6:30PM: Regular Board of Education Meeting