Superintendent's Message - November 12, 2021

Superintendent's Message - November 12, 2021

Dear Butler D53 Families and Staff,

I had the privilege of attending the 2021 National Blue Ribbon School awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. last week with Miss Andrea Prola to accept Butler Junior High School's THIRD National Blue Ribbon School award. What a wonderful opportunity to engage with administrators from across the nation of award-winning schools. I am incredibly proud of our dedicated faculty and staff, collaborative parents, and successful students.

The Fall 2021 NWEA MAP Data for students at Brook Forest Elementary and Butler Junior High School have been approved for posting. I'm proud of the continued high academic achievement of our students. Using this data, our teachers, educational support staff, and administrators will further inform instructional decisions and evaluate individual student needs using our Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework.

Additionally, the Board of Education held their regular monthly meeting on Monday, November 8, 2021. At this meeting, the Board of Education continued discussions on the infrastructure investments needed at both of our school buildings. The Board will take action at the December meeting. Further, the Board of Education approved the continuation of the current voluntary COVID-19 testing program (opt-in) within Butler School District 53.

As a reminder, the District 53 Health Center offers free on-site COVID-19 testing to all members of the District 53 community. I encourage you and your families to take advantage of this offering, especially as we move into the colder months with more events occurring inside and the holidays approaching. The Butler SD53 COVID-19 Data Tracker Dashboard is updated weekly and the data represents new activity within the reporting period.

In the season of gratitude, I want to conclude with my sincerest thanks to each of you for your partnership in learning for our students, support of one another, and commitment to creating a school district community Beyond All Limits. I wish you and your families a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.

Stay well, be safe!

Dr. Paul O’Malley
Superintendent of Schools