Sept. 18, 2018

September 19, 2018
this fall: blueprint 220 community feedback
At its Sept. 18 meeting, the Board of Education continued its discussion about how it will gain community feedback this fall on the Blueprint 220 master-facilities plan. Earlier this month, the Board approved the long term master-facilities plan for the school district. The plan aims to address a variety of Barrington 220's needs over the next 20 years, not all at once. Areas of focus include: the expected aging of the district's building infrastructure, the creation of new learning spaces for 21st century teaching methods, current expectations for building safety and security, and signature programs that have high value for the Barrington area community, such as fine arts and athletics. Click here to review the approved master plan. The Board plans to seek community feedback through a Referendum Advisory Committee, which will meet four times between Oct. 8-Nov. 12. Committee members will review the master plan at these meetings and provide feedback to the Board in mid-November. The committee will be made up of representatives from more than 50 community organizations. It will also include three at-large positions. In addition, at its Sept. 18 meeting, the Board voted to administer a telephone survey to residents in the Barrington 220 boundary area. Together, this community feedback will help the Board narrow down which parts of the master plan a potential referendum question should focus on in the April 2019 general election.

Board recognizes BHS girls golf coach for national honor

At its Sept. 18 meeting, the Board of Education recognized Coach Jodi Schoeck, who was named Golf Coach of the Year by the National High School Athletic Coaches Association. Coach Schoeck is currently in the middle of her 32nd season as coach of the BHS girls golf team. She worked as the district's adaptive physical education teacher for 33 years, before retiring at the end of the 2017-18 school year.

Barrington 220 Safety Week (Sept. 24-28)

At its Sept. 18 meeting, Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Brian Harris, reminded the Board of Education about the district's upcoming Safety Week, which will run Sept. 24-28. Each school will participate in various safety activities throughout the week. In addition, on Tuesday, Sept. 25 Barrington 220 will partner with Barrington Police and Fire to host a School Safety Community Night. The evening will begin at 7pm in the BHS auditorium. Topics will include: various school safety measures Barrington 220 has taken in recent years, how the school district and law enforcement communicate during a school crisis situation, how the district, law enforcement, parents and community members respond to various school crisis situations and how the school district and law enforcement work together year-round to keep our schools safe. All community members are encouraged to attend.

New BHS scoreboard to be ready later this fall

At its Sept. 18 meeting, the Board of Education heard an update on the new scoreboard at Barrington Community Stadium. It is expected to be installed over the next few weeks and ready for use later this fall. The current scoreboard, which was installed more than 10 years ago, has reached the end of its functional life. The new scoreboard will have a larger video screen and better sound system. Sponsors will include Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital, Barrington Bank & Trust (Wintrust), Lake Cook Orthopedics, Long & Company Jewelers, Moretti's, Motor Werks of Barrington and Wickstrom Auto Group.

New start times having positive impact on students/community

At its Sept. 18 meeting, the Board of Education heard an update about how the new school start times, implemented at the beginning of the 2017-18 school year, are impacting middle and high school students. Survey results indicate that so far, the majority of students, staff and parents believe later start times at the middle schools and high school have positively impacted students' academic performance and personal lives.

Board approves 2018-19 budget

At its Sept. 18 meeting, the Board of Education approved the 2018-19 budget. This marks the 22nd consecutive year Barrington 220 has passed a balanced budget. Barrington 220 is one of just 93 school districts nationwide that have received a AAA bond rating from Standard & Poor's.