New District 15 Community Committee to Meet; Will This Group Rebuild Parents' Trust?

PALATINE, IL — A new community engagement committee for Community Consolidated School District 15 will meet for the first time next week now that the leaders for the 44-member group have been chosen, according to the Daily Herald.

Matt Bickel and Lavanya Swaminathan were selected by Superintendent Scott Thompson to co-chair the committee, which will provide input from residents to help the board chart the school district's future, the report stated. The committee was created after voters in November's election overwhelmingly shot down a $130 million bond referendum to build two new schools.

Thompson told the Herald that the qualifications Bickel and Swaminathan possess make them ideal individuals to head up the group. Here's a look at their backgrounds:

• Bickel: Architect for the renovation of Palatine Village Hall as a partner at Wold Architects and Engineers. Working on that project gave Bickel the experience of collaborating with members of the community to reach a singular goal.
• Swaminathan: She's employed in the human resources department of a Fortune 500 company and has served as the leader of multiple committees.

The committee will meet at the Joseph M. Kiszka Education Service Center, 580 N 1st Bank Dr., Palatine, and the meetings will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursdays. The first meeting will be Jan. 19, followed by Feb. 9 and March 9.

RELATED: Voters Reject $130M Bond Referendum to Build 2 New District 15 Schools

Almost all the applications to be a part of the committee were accepted by Thompson and the new co-chairs, the report stated. Applications were rejected only if they were incomplete or were from residents on the school board or running for a board seat in April, the report added.

The new committee is an effort by District 15 officials to rebuild their relationship with the community, which has been strained in the past year. Two specific incidents have led to criticism from residents who claim district leaders need to involve the community more before making big decisions.

In May, the school system and teachers agreed to an unprecedented 10-year contract. Not only were many residents upset over the unusual length of the deal, but they were also upset that officials kept the details of the agreement secret, even after both parties had signed off on it.

RELATED: District 15 and Teachers Union Agree on Unprecedented 10-Year Contract

As mentioned earlier, voters rejected the district's November referendum that would have allowed it to build two new schools. Like with the teachers contract, many parents and residents were angered over a lack of transparency, claiming the bond issue was sprung on them when the board voted to put it on the ballot.

YOUR TURN: Will this help rebuild trust between District 15 officials and parents and residents? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section.

More via the Daily Herald

image via Community Consolidate School District 15

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