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CCSD 89 announces co-facilitators for “Our 89” community engagement campaign
Two men with financial backgrounds and children who attend Community Consolidated School District 89 schools will lead the district’s “Our 89” community engagement work. Mike Lullo and Steve Neurauter were selected as co-facilitators for the Community Engagement Committee’s work of gathering feedback from the community about the district’s financial situation and next steps.
Mike Lullo
Lullo has lived in Glen Ellyn for 12 years with his wife Lynn. They have two children, one who attends Glen Crest Middle School and one who attends Westfield Elementary School.
Lullo is a certified public accountant and retired audit partner for Deloitte & Touche LLP, where he worked for 29 years. This fall, Lullo will join the faculty of the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, the school where he earned a bachelor’s degree in accountancy. Lullo previously served on the CCSD 89 Finance Committee in 2011. He volunteers with his children’s schools and is active with the Butterfield Park District swim team.
Steve Neurauter
Neurauter has lived in Glen Ellyn for two years. He and his wife Melissa have three children: a Park View student, an Arbor View student, and a future CCSD 89 student.
Neurauter is a business management and technical consultant who advises an aerospace company that has strong ties to the University of Illinois, the school where Neurauter earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in aerospace engineering. Prior to starting his own company, Neurauter worked as an aerospace engineer and management consultant in California and the United Kingdom. He earned an MBA from the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom. Neurauter also serves on the CCSD 89 Citizen Advisory Council and volunteers at his children’s schools.
Both Lullo and Neurauter served on the Superintendent’s Finance Committee and are now part of the Superintendent’s Community Engagement Committee.
‘Our 89’ community engagement sessions
Lullo, Neurauter, and CCSD 89 Superintendent Dr. Emily Tammaru will lead the discussion at the three “Our 89” community engagement meetings that the district will hold in June. Lullo and Neurauter have been meeting with PTC groups across the district. You can watch a summary of their PTC presentations at: https://youtu.be/Q3sO3WCltXg
The community engagement meetings will be held in Spartan Hall (cafeteria) at Glen Crest Middle School on:
- 7 to 9 p.m., Tuesday, June 5
- Topics: Sharing information, community conversation
- 7 to 9 p.m., Tuesday, June 19
- Topics: Examining options, discussing solutions, providing feedback
- 9 to 11 a.m., Saturday, June 23
- Topics: Examining options, discussing solutions, providing feedback
All meetings are open to anyone in the community who is interested in being part of the conversation. The meetings will kick off the “Our 89” community engagement campaign that will help the district better understand what residents value in their schools. You can learn more about the “Our 89” work at www.ccsd89.org/our89
At the June 5 “Our 89” community meeting, community members will hear a presentation about the district’s financial status and history. Residents will break into small groups to discuss their priorities for the district, and there will be opportunities to ask questions.
At the June 19 and June 23 “Our 89” community meetings, there will be opportunities to discuss various options the district can pursue to address its structural deficit, and provide feedback to the committee members. Both the June 19 and June 23 meetings will cover similar topics. The district scheduled the meetings at different times and days of the week to accommodate more residents’ schedules. Residents are welcome to attend any and all of the meetings.
Residents are encouraged, but not required, to RSVP for the meetings at bit.ly/our89, (630) 545-3581 or info@ccsd89.org. The RSVPs will help the district plan for the layout of the room.
After gathering feedback from residents, the Board of Education is expected to make a decision on the next steps at the August 20 Board meeting.
Finance Committee work
In January 2018, Tammaru convened the Superintendent’s Finance Committee to examine the district’s financial status and priorities. The committee was composed of community members, parents, and CCSD 89 staff.
The committee did an in-depth review of the district’s financial position and planning, reviewed past cost-saving measures, and gave feedback on community priorities. The committee looked at the nearly $3 million in cuts and reductions the district has made since 2009, and examined how rising enrollment and increasing costs have created deficit budgets for the district.
After several months of work, the Finance Committee recommended two possible paths to the Board of Education:
- Option A: Increase revenues in order to maintain comprehensive, high-quality educational programming. Increasing revenues would allow the district to avoid cuts to programs that directly impact students.
- Option B: Reduce programs and increase fees. The district would need to make about $1.2 million in cuts during the 2019-20 school year, with further cuts in subsequent years.
The members of the Board of Education agreed that the district cannot continue to have deficit budgets. The Board of Education members asked the committee to begin a process of community engagement, including the three community meetings.