Sycamore CUSD 427 Board President Newsletter: December 4, 2025

A Message from Michael DeVito, Board of Education President

I am honored to serve as the President of the Sycamore Community School District 427 Board of Education. A proud member of the SHS Class of 2013, I have called Sycamore home since the second grade and have held a deep love for this community and our schools for as long as I can remember. My connection to our district is personal; both my wife and I are proud alumni, and she taught here for many years before staying home with our two boys, Charles and Elliott. My commitment to Sycamore extends beyond the boardroom; I have had the privilege of serving as Rotary President, Pumpkin Festival Vendor Chairperson, and Volunteer Coordinator for the Turning Back Time Car Show. Professionally, I bring nearly 20 years of experience as an insurance broker in my family’s business and also work as an Adjunct Professor of Management & Finance.

A Board of Education serves as a critical pillar of democracy. Among the 852 school boards in Illinois, ours is a local legislative body comprised of seven elected community volunteers who serve without pay. While we bear ultimate responsibility for the district, our role is defined by governance. We focus on three primary responsibilities: employing and evaluating the Superintendent (who acts as the district’s CEO), adopting policies that establish a legal framework for decision-making, and overseeing financial stewardship through the adoption of the annual budget and tax levy. We utilize policy as a "predictable voice" to ensure stability, fairness, and consistency, protecting the future of our children while ensuring our district remains a source of pride for the community.

We exist to represent the community’s voice in public education, ensuring that the district operates legally, ethically, and effectively. This role requires us to balance necessary confidentiality with transparency in governance. Through our Board Goals, we set the direction of the district, while the Administration drives the processes to achieve our shared vision: providing an ideal learning experience where students and staff are engaged and eager to return each day. Ultimately, our mission is to empower all learners to succeed in their world.

My own service on the Board began over six years ago as a write-in candidate. Upon my election, I had the distinct privilege of learning alongside veteran members, including former Board President Jim Dombek, who faithfully served this district as Board President from 1998 until his untimely passing in the summer of 2024. Following Jim’s passing, I transitioned from Vice President to Board President. I was honored to be re-elected to the Board by the community in April 2025 and subsequently selected by my fellow Board members to continue leading as President. The past 16 months have been both challenging and productive. We have dedicated thousands of volunteer hours toward earning "School Board Governance Recognition" from the Illinois Association of School Boards, a prestigious status reserved for the state's most effective governance teams.

This dedication to governance excellence is the standard that drives our daily work. Over the last three months, your Board has moved beyond routine business to tackle critical milestones. I am proud to share the concrete results of these efforts. Below is a highlight summary of what we have achieved together this fall and the ambitious road ahead.

At our recent Board meetings, several important topics were discussed and approved:

• A creative health insurance plan redesign has resulted in an estimated $1.5 million in recurring annual savings for employees and the district, while maintaining the same access to providers and better coverage for employees via lower premiums and annual out-of-pocket expenses.
• The Board approved the redirection of savings from the health insurance plan redesign to fund a $2,500 Valued Service Bonus for all health-insurance-eligible staff. This action reclaims funds intended for an insurance carrier and invests them back into the district’s staff in recognition of their service to the district.
• The Board has approved a $46.9 million levy, representing a 3.9% increase to capture inflation and revenue from new construction. However, because property values are rising, the district projects the tax rate will actually decrease from $5.29 to $5.09. Consequently, any homeowner whose property value increased by less than 3.8% will see a reduction in the school district’s portion of their bill, saving approximately $195 on a flat-value $300,000 home.
• As we continue our work this school year, the Board of Education remains committed to the clear roadmap we established to guide our district. Accountability is central to our mission, and we are actively tracking 12 specific, measurable goals to ensure success for every student, staff member, and taxpayer. To view our District Goals, please visit our website, which provides timely updates and tracking.
• Sycamore is leading the conversation on school safety funding in Illinois. Recently, our Board submitted a proposal to the state association regarding the lack of funding for school bus seatbelt mandates. We are proud to share that out of 852 districts, Sycamore’s resolution was the sole proposal adopted by the entire membership to be lobbied for in Springfield. The resolution that passed pertains to school bus safety. Illinois law (PA 104-0075) requires all newly purchased school buses to be equipped with three-point seat belts beginning in 2031. IASB will advocate for the state to offer districts flexibility and options to comply with this unfunded state mandate, extend the timeline for school districts that may be disproportionately impacted, and allow for alternatives. Adopted resolutions become Position Statements, which establish the Association's advocacy priorities and legislative direction.

• The Learning & Teaching Committee has continued its work on the K–12 English Language Arts (ELA) pilot program review and will finalize recommendations.
• A review of the Illinois School Report Card, Data Dashboards, and the alignment to our board goals relating to public-facing academic dashboards that connect to district-specific goals was recommended to the board and approved by the board as a whole.
• A recommendation to the board as a whole to develop district goals for the upcoming year that aspire for all Sycamore Schools to move from “Commendable” to “Exemplary” status, the highest ranking in the state. 
• Review of graduation requirements compared to surrounding districts and a recommendation that the board direct administration to bring back at the March 12, 2026 meeting a recommendation on the adjustment of graduation requirements in alignment with interest to Exemplary school designations and high rigor by comparison to peer districts. 

• Recommendation to the board was approved to initiate first time submission of a $50,000 Facilities Grant request to the state for facilities repair and improvement. 
• Recommendation to the board was approved to direct administration to update the board on the District’s current debt load, how soon new capacity will open up, and the types of projects that can be supported. 
• Review of the levy was done and recommendation was made to the board as a whole to adopt the levy as it is reflective of the allowed taxable amounts per fund in aggregate to stay within the bounds of PTELL. 
• Recommendation to the board was approved for administration to work on completion of a comprehensive five-year facilities plan, laying the groundwork for long-term capital improvements. 

• Policy 2:240: ​​The Committee discussed eliminating policy requirements for first and second reading for most policies. Consensus of the Committee was to recommend eliminating this language and allow policy approval to be added to the consent agenda or as a regular agenda item based on the how substantial the proposed changes are to policy language. The Committee recommendation was to approve PRESS 119 on the consent agenda and approval of Policy 4:180 as a separate agenda item.
• Policy 7:30: The Committee reviewed the requested changes to language proposed by the District Administration. The Committee and Mr. Reineck discussed current District practices for student placement in attendance centers, the alignment to policy, and the Board's role. Consensus of the Committee was to revise the policy to allow administration to assign elementary students to schools other than those designated by their address if needed to balance class sizes across the district. The Board will be notified of any assignments other than those designated by student address.
• Policy 4:12: Proposed changes to Policy 4:12 were discussed to meet current Board expectations and goals of addressing the fund balance. Consensus was not to reduce the fund balance below 20%, while adding a goal for a healthy fund balance of 25%. A first and second reading of this proposed policy revision was recommended.
• Policy 4:20: The Committee discussed revisions to language specifying fund balance percentage to meet current Board expectations. Suggested changes were to reduce the fund balance to revenue ratio from 25% to 20% to align with Policy 4:12 and current Board expectations.
• PRESS Review Discussion: The Policy Committee reviewed the PRESS Issue 119 updates. The Committee accepted the presented changes and made local updates to Policy 4:180 to revert to the default PRESS language. The Committee reviewed 7:40 in the PRESS 119 update. Suggested changes were to clarify language regarding coursework required to participate in association extracurricular activities, particularly by homeschool students.

The Staff and Student Recognition Spotlight is a new initiative to highlight and celebrate the accomplishments of our students and staff members. During our monthly board meetings, we spotlight both students and staff who go above and beyond. To nominate a student or staff member, please visit our website.

• Taylor Mathey and Amy Ullmark - Ms. Mathey and Ms. Ullmark went above and beyond to support Summer OSCAR students, families, and staff.
• Business Office - Each year, the Association of School Business Officials (ASBO) awards Certificates of Excellence in Financial Reporting for high-quality comprehensive annual financial reports. For the past 22 years, our district has earned a certificate.
• Buildings & Grounds Staff - Over the summer months, our incredible team put in hard work and dedication to ensure a successful start to the 2025-26 school year.
• Little Spartans Staff - Our preschool program has earned the Gold Circle of Quality from ExceleRate Illinois, the highest honor for early learning programs in our state.
• SpartanTV - Sycamore High School’s Homecoming Football Game was featured on the national stage as the Marquee Matchup of the Week, with live coverage provided by the students of our SpartanTV program.
• Building Principals - In honor of Principal Appreciation Month, we wanted to recognize our Principals for their leadership and vision in our schools.
• Mary "Beth" Foose - In November, we held a moment of silence to acknowledge the loss of our beloved staff member. Beth served our district for 13 years as a dedicated Special Education Teacher, most recently at Southeast Elementary School.
• Heather Tomlinson - As an outgoing board member, she was recognized for her dedicated service to our district.

Here’s what’s coming up:

• SEA Negotiations: We are beginning the collaborative process with the Sycamore Education Association (SEA) for the impending expiration of their current Collective Bargaining Agreement on July 1, 2026.
• Superintendent Selection: We are entering the final phase of the search process. Final interviews are scheduled for this month, with the goal of selecting a visionary leader to guide Sycamore 427 into its next chapter.
• Board Vacancy Interviews: We are in the process of appointing a new Board member to fill a board seat vacancy, a process governed by statute, aligned with local policy and intended to seat the most qualified applicant selected by the board.
• District Goals Next Year Planning: The Board will be reviewing progress on existing goals and launching a districtwide goal-setting process this coming April in alignment with the work of our subcommittees and their respective recommendations .
• Board Dashboard Launch: Work is underway to publish a user-friendly dashboard that tracks progress in key areas of board and district performance.
• Transportation Updates: We are reviewing route designations and hazardous routes to ensure consistent service and maximize state funding. We are also initiating conversations regarding the expansion of walking paths to improve accessibility and safety for students traveling to school.
• Evaluation Tools: To drive continuous improvement and strengthen accountability, the Board will be conducting its annual review of both the Superintendent evaluation and Board self-evaluation processes. This ensures our governance standards remain rigorous and effective.

• FY26 Budget Development: Preliminary work is beginning to shape next year’s budget, with continued focus on sustainability and alignment to strategic goals, this will come to head at our February joint meeting of the teaching and learning and business service committee meeting open to the public.
• Graduation Requirements: The Learning & Teaching Committee is reviewing current graduation requirements for alignment to current best practice standards for rigor and excellence. 
• ELA Pilot Program Review: The Committee will continue to receive feedback on the pilot.

• 8:52 Removal of language that mandates the use of the symbol (trademark symbol) whenever the district's trademark is used.
• 7:40 Reviewing expanded eligibility for students participating in extracurricular activities. To allow more students residing in the district to take part in school-sponsored activities.
• Potential new policy 2:242 Administrative Procedures Documentation To ensure a consistent and clear practice for managing all administrative procedures.

• Next Meeting: The Parent Teacher Advisory Committee (PTAC) will meet on December 9th to discuss student handbook updates, discipline data, chronic absenteeism, and school safety. Special emphasis on chronic absenteeism should be noted, as consistent attendance is a critical predictor of student success. Additionally, in alignment with our Board goal to foster a safe district culture, the committee will review options to further bolster school safety.

• Agendas and Minutes
• Policy Manual
• Board Meetings on YouTube