Latest news with #NapervilleSchoolDistrict203
Chicago Tribune
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Naperville councilman McBroom, DuPage GOP, Awake Illinois battle District 203 over transgender female athletes
Naperville City Councilman Josh McBroom and DuPage County Republicans are among those attacking Naperville School District 203 over a junior high track meet at which it's claimed one of the winning athletes was a transgender girl. In a case that has evoked hundreds of online comments and national media attention, Naperville-based Awake Illinois Monday filed a federal Title IX complaint against the district with the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights. 'Some of the girls were left in tears (at the May 14 track meet),' McBroom wrote in a May 16 post on his Naperville City Council Facebook page. 'And parents are speaking out — not from a political place, but as concerned moms and dads who care deeply about fairness for our daughters.' He also made it a city issue by questioning why the Naperville office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, a department he has advocated for dissolving, did not speak out about the situation because 'residents deserve to see action when it matters most.' But it's also a subject that elicited support from area residents and the LGBTQ+ population and advocates, many of whom attended Monday's night's Naperville District 203 School Board meeting to laud the district for not yielding to the criticism. The situation is the latest in a series of complaints in Chicago and the suburbs centered on transgender students. Last month, Awake Illinois lodged similar allegations against Valley View District 365-U, which inspired passionate pleas in support of LGBTQ+ youth at a school board meeting for the Bolingbrook-Romeoville district. Chicago Public Schools and Deerfield Public Schools District 109 have also been subject to federal complaints over the past few months. Allegations against District 203 are tied to a junior high track meet held at Naperville North High School last week. Videos started circulating on social media of a Naperville student athlete winning events at the event alongside claims that she should not have competed in the girls' division. Posts have garnered thousands of views and hundreds of comments. In response, DuPage County Republicans on May 15 posted a statement on its Facebook page maintaining that female athletes 'should be allowed to compete fairly and safely in their desired sports.' As part of the statement, the local GOP linked to an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in February under which transgender athletes are banned from participating in girls' and women's sports. On the same day, Awake Illinois weighed in, noting on social media that it was prepared to file a federal civil rights complaint against District 203, which the group made good on four days later. At the core of Awake's complaint is that District 203 is in violation of 'current Title IX protections.' Title IX is a 1972 law forbidding discrimination based on sex in education. Last year, the Biden administration finalized new rules expanding the law to also prevent discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation. Those added provisions, however, were struck down nationwide in January after a federal judge in Kentucky found they overstepped the president's authority. McBroom spoke out on the situation on May 16 via Facebook. 'So here's my question: Where is the (city of Naperville's) DEI department now? Is its role just to host workshops and 'conversations'? Will it speak out on this issue?' McBroom wrote in his post. 'Will it engage the community? Or will it stay silent?' McBroom has not been shy about his skepticism of the city's DEI department. He has questioned the city's spending on DEI amid discussions over how Naperville will account for the $6.5 million in annual revenue it stands to lose when the state's grocery tax sunsets next year. In a guest column in the Naperville Sun last fall, McBroom wrote, 'Sharpening the pencil on the city budget is certainly in order and DEI should be on the short list of where to tighten.' Reached by phone, McBroom deferred to his Facebook post and declined further comment. Requests for comment from the city were not returned. In his post, McBroom also called on school boards and district leadership to 'lead.' 'Protect the girls in our schools. Step up. Take a stand. … We are watching. And we're waiting,' he wrote. The situation was also discussed in a segment of Fox News' America Reports Monday. People flooded the District 203 School Board meeting Monday night to speak for and against transgender student athletes and to denounce those who were sharing the student's identity and photo on social media. 'The use of a student's image, likeness or name to further a political agenda is abhorrent and unacceptable,' said Amanda Zigterman, parent of two District 203 students. 'Essentially, it is bullying on a local and national stage by adults who should know better.' But other parents and community activists were vocally opposed to biological males competing in sporting events against girls, saying it creates an unfair playing field and should not be allowed. 'What is the acceptable amount of genetic boys allowed to participate in girls sports divisions?' parent Jason Copeland said. 'If the answer is anything other than zero, that person isn't qualified to be on a board overseeing the protection and education of children at any level in this district.' More than 30 residents and community activists voiced their opinions for about 90 minutes. On one side of the room, audience members held up neon yellow signs with messages that included 'Protect Girls Sports,' 'Support Common Sense' and 'Defend Title IX.' The other side was filled with people waving flags supporting transgender and LGBTQ+ rights, wearing Naper Pride shirts and 'ally' buttons, and holding signs advocating for inclusion. Roughly two-thirds of the speakers voiced their support for the right of transgender students to compete in sports and criticizing those who would turn a child into a political pawn by spreading their image on social media. 'It's not just wrong. It is harmful,' Jon O'Toole said. 'As a person of faith, we are called to love our neighbors, to speak for the vulnerable and to make space at the table for everybody. That includes trans kids. Kids should be able to show up as their bold true selves, on the field, in the classroom, in their communities.' Playing sports is about teamwork, confidence and belonging, he added, and everyone deserves that chance. 'This is not about politics,' O'Toole said. 'This is about people. This is about a child who just wants to play with their friends and be accepted for who they are. We should be working to lift that child up and protect all students, not single them out for harm. Trans kids aren't up for debate. They are not a threat. They are not a problem that needs to be solved.' Parent Tim Thompson, father of two children, said he appreciated that the school board was upholding state law and allowing transgender students to compete. District 203 should be lauded for its support of inclusivity and not cowed into bending its beliefs by civil rights complaints. 'This is just another in a long list of ways that they are attacking and devaluing public education,' he said. '… Don't be fooled. It was never about a race. It was never about an athlete. This is an attempt to further marginalize a group and tell them they don't belong, that they aren't good enough.' Other speakers, however, said it's not fair to expect girls to compete against biological boys in sporting events. A student who was born male should not be able to take away girls' achievements, hard work and effort, they said. Parent Doug MacGregor noted that some parents spend thousands of dollars on sports coaches, training and camps for their daughters only to face unfair competiton due to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. 'When their daughter steps up for her chance to win a state championship or medal, she'll lose to a biological male,' he said. 'That once in a lifetime moment gone because of DEI's political agenda.' Parent Jenny George said there are clear disparities between male and female athletes. Her son, a high school track athlete, would rank first in girls' categories but is in the 300s when competing against boys, she said. 'Your job is to represent every student in this district, but you have turned your back on half of them,' George said. 'Women's sports exist to offer a competitive space for female athletes. When males enter those spaces in competition, it is women and girls who are pushed out — out of races, out of records and out of recognition. This is not progress. This is a huge step backwards.' Naperville resident Shannon Adcock, founder of Awake Illinois, said her organization is fighting for fairness and to uphold protections provided through Title IX. 'Now in 2025, you've got boys stealing girls' victories, leaving young girls sobbing on the track,' she said 'This isn't inclusion, it's oppression.' Adcock said she would like to see the $8.9 million the district receives in federal funding frozen until it abides by Title IX. The school board did not address the public comments, and no item was on the agenda related to its policies regarding transgender athletes. District officials declined comment after the meeting. A District 203 spokesperson also declined to comment, saying in an email, 'Please know that the district is committed to protecting the privacy of all students. In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and district policy, we cannot and will not share personal or identifiable information about any student without appropriate consent.' The district adheres to the Illinois Human Rights Act and the Illinois State Board of Education guidance, they said, 'which prohibit discrimination in schools and ensure full and equal access to programs and services regardless of gender identity or other protected characteristics.'
Chicago Tribune
06-05-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
New literacy curriculum, girls high school flag football part of proposed Naperville D203 budget
The Naperville School District 203 budget proposed for 2025-26 calls for new kindergarten to high school literacy curriculum and money to cover startup costs for a new high school flag football program, a newly state-sanctioned sport for girls. The spending plan was presented Monday at the same meeting where the board recognized two outgoing members, Kristen Fitzgerald and Donna Wandke, who each served three terms, and swore in new members Marc Willensky and Holly Joy Blastic and returning members Amanda McMillen and Charles Cush. Revenue in the new fiscal year is expected to be about $355.6 million, a 3.29% increase over the 2024-2025 budget, Michael Frances, the district's chief financial officer, told the board. Property tax accounts for about 85.4% of the district's income and is up $11.3 million over current fiscal year. The district is anticipating a reduction in state and federal funding, but those numbers are not yet known, Frances said. Expenditures are projected to be about $379.5 million, with about $22.2 million spent on one-time capital improvement projects to be funded with money accrued in savings over several years. The district is in a midst of a multiyear project to build an addition to Ranch View Elementary School and to make improvements at Naperville North High School and Connections Transition Services. The district plans to add four regular-sized classrooms, student restrooms, instruction and office space for social work, English language services, staff collaboration and new staff at Ranch View, a kindergarten through fifth grade building. At Naperville North, the district plans to remove inadequate mobile classrooms, repurpose and increase instruction space, add a turf field for physical education classes and address stormwater issues. Salaries and benefits make up about 75.5% of the district's expenses, Frances said. Among the new budget initiatives is a new kindergarten through 12th grade literacy curriculum, which will cost about $3.2 million over the course of three years. The current literacy curriculum was last refreshed more than 10 years ago and is considered outdated, budget documents said. The new program is in response to significant advances in literacy research, including the science of reading, and recent state guidance, Lisa Xagas, assistant superintendent for strategy and engagement, said in an email. The updated curriculum will support foundational reading skills, vocabulary development, advanced comprehension and writing instruction to ensure students receive a high-quality literacy education aligned with best practices and research, she said. About $72,000 is being budgeted for girls flag football programs at Naperville North and Naperville Central high schools. The goal is to start a program this fall, Xagas said. The Illinois High School Association debuted girls flag football in fall 2024. More than 100 schools statewide participated in the inaugural program and nearly 40 other schools have expressed interest in fielding a team in 2025, according to the IHSA. There's been a strong interest in the sport demonstrated through district clinics, Xagas said, and its addition aligns with D203's commitment to equity in sports. The program will include varsity and junior varsity teams for students of all skill levels. The district is also budgeting about $15,000 for a new support staff mentoring program and $7,000 for a leadership academy. The mentoring program is designed to enhance the onboarding of new educational support professionals and provide ongoing professional growth opportunities for returning staff, while the leadership academy invests in the growth of staff to prepare more leaders, Xagas said. Staffing projections are expected to remain about the same as this current year. The student population should be stable for the foreseeable future at the elementary and high school levels and a small increase is projected for the junior high level, according to district documents. The district's citizen finance advisors will review the tentative budget later this month and the school board will consider its adoption June 16. By law, the district must adopt the budget by Sept. 30 but opts to complete the process by the July 1 start of the fiscal year, Superintendent Dan Bridges said. Prior to the administration's budget presentation, the board acknowledged the work of Fitzgerald and Wandke, who have been board members since 2013 and did not seek reelection. 'You are both advocates at your core,' board member Kristine Gericke said. 'You have advocated eloquently, joyfully and fearlessly for our students within our community and those beyond at the state and federal levels. You remain undeterred in your quest to ensure every student achieves a measurable success.' Fitzgerald said the district has worked hard to surround students with love and care and make fewer students feel invisible. 'At its heart and at its core, this district is here to dedicate itself to kids,' Fitzgerald said. 'I feel like that dedication for students to achieve is always a part of 203 and that is what 203 is. And I'm so proud of that.' 'It was an honor to be the voice of the community and asking questions and being a steward of taxpayer dollars,' Wandke said. The new board selected Cush to be its next president, succeeding Gericke, who was named vice president. Board member Melissa Kelley Black nominated Willensky as both president and vice president but he withdrew his name from consideration.
