Home Care In Elmhurst, IL

He is getting a raise, despite a demotion. He is on leave until his retirement.

Patch Staff

|Updated Wed, Apr 24, 2024 at 7:20 am CT

VILLA PARK, IL – The former superintendent of Villa Park School District 45 was under investigation by the district before the board demoted him last week.

Despite the demotion, he is set to get a $10,000 raise.

Through a public records request, Patch on Tuesday received documents related to former Superintendent Anthony Palmisano. Last week, the board approved an agreement for him to leave in the fall of 2025.

"A recent investigation related to (Palmisano's) leadership style did not result in disciplinary action," Superintendent Brian Graber said in a letter to Patch. "The Board and Mr. Palmisano mutually agreed to amend his employment contract through his planned retirement in 2025."

In its statement last week, the district said Palmisano was "transitioning" into a new role as assistant superintendent.

Find out what's happening in Elmhurstwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

But it failed to reveal that his agreement stipulated that for the rest of his time with the district, Palmisano will be on either paid or unpaid administrative leave. Under the terms, he will be considered a licensed employee who will perform unspecified duties as assigned.

In the statement, the board did not note that Palmisano already had been on paid administrative leave for six months.

In response to Patch's records request, District 45 released an Oct. 19 letter from the district's Chicago-based law firm, Robbins Schwartz, to Palmisano.

Attorney Catherine Locallo told Palmisano that she was acting on behalf of the board. She said Palmisano was being placed on paid leave because of an investigation. The purpose of that inquiry was redacted from the document given to Patch.

A Robbins Schwartz attorney, Kevin Noll, would conduct the investigation, Locallo said.

She said that "in view of the nature of the allegations," Palmisano was asked not to be on district property or at any district activity after Oct. 19.

Locallo further asked Palmisano not to discuss the matter with staff, students or parents.

"You are not to retaliate against any individual you believe has provided or may provide information to the District regarding these concerns," Locallo wrote.

Although Locallo said she was acting on the board's behalf, members did not vote in an open meeting on placing Palmisano on leave. Under the Open Meetings Act, all board actions must be taken in public.

In January 2023, the board announced Palmisano, whose salary is now $253,536, would serve through the end of the 2024-25 school year, with an official retirement date of Oct. 1, 2025. The board also said it gave Graber a four-year contract, with the understanding that he would succeed Palmisano as superintendent.

Last week's agreement states Palmisano will take sick leave through June 30 for "sick leave reasons."

From July 1 to March 15, Palmisano will be on paid administrative leave, according to the document.

His salary during that year will be $263,706, as the board previously determined, the agreement states. That's higher than the $256,000 salary for the superintendent of neighboring Elmhurst School District 205, Keisha Campbell, who leads a district twice the size.

From March 16 through June 30 next year, Palmisano is scheduled to be on unpaid administrative leave.

Starting July 1, 2025, Palmisano will retire after 36 consecutive work days on paid administrative leave.

Until his departure, Palmisano will use certain numbers of sick and vacation days, according to the agreement.

Despite being on leave, the agreement states that Palmisano "shall be reasonably available with appropriate notice to perform administrative duties" as directed by the school board president.

The agreement is somewhat similar to the one that Robbins Schwartz negotiated last year with Tammy Prentiss, former superintendent of Hinsdale High School District 86.

Prentiss was removed from her position, but continued to receive her pay for much of the next year. She, too, was considered a licensed employee and expected to perform duties as assigned. However, Patch discovered through public records requests that Prentiss was never asked to do any work for the district.

In both cases, Robbins Schwartz advised the boards on the process of ousting their superintendents. Both boards decided behind closed doors to place their superintendents on leave, despite the Open Meetings Act. In District 86's case, the board took a public vote a week and a half later.

Both agreements included clauses barring either side from disparaging the other. The pacts essentially served as bridges to retirement for Palmisano and Prentiss.

Graber and District 45's board president, Judy Degnan, did not return emailed messages for comment Tuesday. Palmisano couldn't be reached for immediate comment.

Palmisano worked for the district for 31 years. His LinkedIn page indicates he became superintendent in 2013.

District 45 includes all or parts of Villa Park, Lombard and Oakbrook Terrace.

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ELMHURST, IL – Many Chicago suburbs are enacting regulations dealing with buses full of migrants from the U.S.-Mexico border.

But Elmhurst is among those that have not.

In a news release last month, the city acknowledged two such buses arrived in Elmhurst shortly before Christmas. Five others have arrived since then, the city said.

As in other suburbs, the passengers, many of them from Venezuela and other Latin American countries, were quickly taken to the train station with tickets to go to Chicago. None of them stayed in Elmhurst.

Texas, which is busing the migrants, shifted its routes to the suburbs last month after Chicago passed new restrictions. Violations can result in fines and the seizure of buses.

Find out what's happening in Elmhurstwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In a Dec. 29 statement, Mayor Scott Levin acknowledged towns that adopted bus regulations.

"I do not believe that we need such an ordinance at this time," he said. "The City of Chicago ordinance caused unintended consequences, being migrant buses directed to suburbs. We do not want a situation where these buses discharge their passengers at other locations, such as expressway exits, from where the passengers would be required to walk to the Metra station in dangerously cold weather. We have a number of contingency plans in place, and in the event that an ordinance might be required in the future, we are prepared to address it directly."

At Monday's City Council meeting, Elmhurst resident Rocca Maria Balice praised the city for its approach to the migrant crisis.

"I just wanted to express my support and thanks for handling it in a measured, humane way and communicating it thoughtfully to the residents of Elmhurst," Balice said. "There's been a lot of fearmongering on social media and among residents."

She added, "I hope we continue to handle it in such a fashion and remind our fellow residents and neighbors that fear is not a plan or a solution to this issue."

Following the City Council's policy, aldermen did not immediately respond to Balice's comments.

In Hinsdale and Clarendon Hills, residents have expressed fear of migrants before their governing bodies enacted bus regulations.

At a Jan. 2 special meeting of the Hinsdale Village Board, residents said migrants may spread illnesses and cause dangers to children. One woman said she saw two migrants wearing ankle bracelets, which she believed indicated that law enforcement was watching them.

A week earlier in Clarendon Hills, a resident warned village officials the migrants would not assimilate and would take away others' freedoms.

Soon after Hinsdale and Clarendon Hills acted, Western Springs took a different route. It announced it would ensure safe bus-to-train passage for migrants if they arrived in the village. Officials gave no signs they would pass bus rules.

In response, a Western Springs resident who is a financial executive in Chicago spoke at a Village Board meeting. He warned of Hamas, Hezbollah and the Chinese Communist Party entering town. And he said "foreign men" would pose dangers to local children.

"By aiding and comforting enemies of the United States, you are most likely committing treason," the resident, Chris Recker, told trustees.

Using mathematical modeling, students had to come up with solutions to real-world questions.

Community Opinions, Patch Staff

|Updated Thu, Apr 11, 2024 at 9:27 am CT

ELMHURST, IL – For 14 straight hours in early March, a small group of York Community High School students came together to participate in an international online math competition. A combination of math smarts and creative thinking has added up to a spot in the finals for the team, whose submission was selected as one of the best solutions to the double whammy crises of affordable housing and homelessness with which local and national governments are currently grappling.

The students – Nick Cifelli, Timothy Flisk, Jeffrey Lu, Taylor Melind, and Steven Piotrowski of Elmhurst-based York Community High School – make up one of the nine finalist teams in MathWorks Math Modeling Challenge (M3 Challenge), a unique competition that drew nearly 3,000 11th and 12th graders in the U.S. and sixth form students in the U.K. this year. The team, whose work underwent intense scrutiny by judges in the first two rounds of assessment, has one last hurdle when they head to New York City on April 29 to present their findings to a panel of professional mathematicians for final validation.

Using mathematical modeling, students had to come up with solutions to real-world questions: How do we solve the intertwined crises of homelessness and a shortage of affordable housing, especially given that they are often exacerbated by unforeseen circumstances such as natural disasters, humanitarian crises, and economic downturns? Can we predict long-term changes in the housing supply and unhoused population? If so, how can we use this information to devise real, long-term solutions for homelessness?

Now in its 19th year, M3 Challenge is a program of Philadelphia-based Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) and is sponsored by MathWorks. It spotlights applied mathematics as a powerful problem-solving tool and motivates students to consider further education and careers in applied math, computational and data sciences, and technical computing. Winning teams will be awarded a share of $100,000 in scholarships, with the champion team receiving $20,000.

A total of 643 teams submitted papers detailing their recommendations. Roughly 45% of those submissions included technical computing to support and enhance their solutions, and those coding skills make them eligible for additional scholarship prizes.

Find out what's happening in Elmhurstwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“The cost of housing in the U.S. and the U.K. has increased faster than people’s incomes, making rent or mortgage payments challenging for many,” said Dr. Karen Bliss, Senior Manager of Education and Outreach at SIAM. “This issue is often due to a shortage of available housing, which has reached crisis levels and has been associated with a significant increase in homelessness in many large cities.”

“Stable housing can ease homelessness and is often an important first step in helping people tackle other challenges like addiction, mental health issues, and unemployment, but increasing the housing supply is slow and requires significant financial investment,” Bliss explained. “There are also other complex issues to consider, such as land restrictions, population growth, financial constraints, and longevity of a housing structure.”

According to Elmhurst team coach and math teacher Ella Sak, the York Community High School students have been dedicated to developing their problem solving skills throughout the year. “I am proud to see them use these skills to solve a real-world problem in M3 Challenge,” she said.

Team member Taylor Melind said that she found M3 Challenge to be instrumental in expanding the team’s problem-solving capabilities beyond conventional boundaries. "M3 Challenge gave us the opportunity to utilize unconventional problem solving skills and techniques, typically used for abstract datasets and competition problems, for tangible, real-world situations. Through this challenge, we were able to develop our knowledge on one of society’s greatest problems and the possible solutions for it," she said.

In addition to York Community High School, the other finalist teams hail from schools in Alexandria, Virginia; Andover, Massachusetts; Basking Ridge, New Jersey; Gainesville, Florida; Livingston, New Jersey; Minneapolis, Minnesota; San Diego, California; and Watford, Hertfordshire.

For more information about M3 Challenge, visit https://m3challenge.siam.org/the-challenge/.

To access this year’s challenge problem, visit https://m3challenge.siam.org/2024-problem/.

To see the full list of finalist, semi-finalist, and honorable mention teams, visit https://m3challenge.siam.org/wp-content/uploads/M3-Winners-2024_complete-list-pre-final-event.pdf.

ELMHURST, IL – A recent student performance measure at Sandburg Middle School may never make a news release or school board presentation.

Yet it is a stark reminder of a trend in Elmhurst and just about everywhere else in the country: Low-income students are far behind many of their peers.

Last year, not a single low-income eighth-grader at Sandburg met state standards in math on the Illinois Assessment of Readiness, according to the Illinois Report Card.

It's hard to quickly get the exact number of low-income eighth-graders at Sandburg. But based on low-income percentages, the number is about two dozen.

At Bryan and Churchville middle schools, the percentages of low-income eighth-graders meeting math standards last year were 5.9 percent and 4.3 percent, respectively.

Find out what's happening in Elmhurstwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Overall at Sandburg, 45 percent of eighth-graders met standards in math last year.

At Tuesday's school board meeting, resident Tom Chavez, a conservative critic of the board, noted the low-income number at Sandburg. The Illinois Report Card includes such statistics.

Later in the meeting, the school board was given a presentation on various test scores and how they compare with national numbers.

As always, Elmhurst scored far better than national averages, as is typically the case for wealthy school districts.

In Elmhurst, the median household income is $143,000, nearly double the national average.

A couple of years ago, board member Jim Collins said many residents don't want to compare Elmhurst to national averages.

"I think a lot of people bristle when we talk about how we're above the national average because I think our community's expectations are far higher than that," he said at a board meeting.

In its presentations, the district used to compare its numbers to schools with similar demographics, but that practice has largely fallen to the wayside – at least publicly.

At Tuesday's meeting, board President Athena Arvanitis wanted to clarify that students across all grades in District 205 performed as well as or better than 76 percent of their grade-level peers nationally.

In response, district official Jacob Wertz said, "Yep."

"Wow!" Arvanitis said.

Nestled 25 miles from downtown Chicago is the quaint and vibrant town of Elmhurst, Illinois. If you’re looking for a new train town to explore, Elmhurst is a quick ride from the city and many of the main attractions are walkable. Make a day or a weekend out of exploring all Elmhurst has to offer for families. Between kid-friendly museums, state-of-the-art playgrounds, and family-friendly breweries, there is something for kids and adults to enjoy in Elmhurst.

Check out our Visitors Guide for more neighborhoods to explore near Chicago.

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Depending on the time of year you're visiting, you can get around Elmhurst via the free trolley.

Top Attractions in Elmhurst for Families

Wilder Park has a playground and more. Photo courtesy of the Elmhurst Park District

The area surrounding Wilder Park consists of a few family-friendly stops. This beautiful area is just a few minutes walk from the train station. There is also ample parking. This area of town is home to Wilder Park Playground, the Wilder Mansion, and the Wilder Park Conservatory.

At the playground, you’ll find a rock-climbing structure, a sand area, a smaller play space for little ones, and multiple play areas for big kids. There is a ton to climb, slide down, and explore. Just down the pathway, you’ll find Wilder Mansion, the previous home of the Elmhurst Library. While it isn’t open to the public every day, the Elmhurst Park District often holds kid-friendly events at Wilder Mansion. You’ll find movies in the park during the summer and fall months, festivals, and a Christmas shop designed just for kids over the holidays.

A few steps further is the Wilder Park Conservatory, which is free and open to the public almost every day of the year. It only closes during season changes for construction. Each season you’ll find new plants and beautiful seasonal flowers. There is also a pond with fish for kids to observe.

Elmhurst Art Museum is located in Wilder Park. Photo courtesy of the Elmhurst Art Museum

Located in Wilder Park, the Elmhurst Art Museum is always open for kids and mini-art enthusiasts. This beautiful and modern building is home to 15,000 square feet of exhibition and education space. Recent exhibits include Chicago artist JC Rivera, and Marvelocity showcasing the Marvel artist Alex Ross. The art museum also offers kid-friendly art classes and camps.

The Elmhurst Library has a massive kid’s section covering almost the entire first floor. You’ll find a small play space and play kitchen, tables with LEGOs, trains, dinosaurs, and more hands-on fun for kids. For older children, there are also study spaces and computer labs. There is also always a free seasonal craft available for kids to take home.

The Elmhurst History Museum is located in the heart of downtown Elmhurst. It’s easily walkable from the train and Wilder Park area. Founded in 1957, the museum is owned and operated by the city of Elmhurst. The Story of Elmhurst is a permanent exhibit, and they continually have additional kid-friendly exhibits on display throughout the year. There are plenty of hands-on items and things for kids to press and push while learning along the way.

Mini Golf at the Hub in Berens Park. Photo courtesy of the Elmhurst Park District

Berens Park is home to the Hub of Elmhurst. You’ll find something for everyone at Berens. There’s a playground, sports fields, mini-golf course, splash pad and spray ground, concession stand, and a massive sledding hill in the winter. You’ll often find football and soccer games being played here along with a host of park district events for kids, from Touch-a-Truck to Easter egg hunts.

Recently, Butterfield Park got an impressive makeover to make it an inclusive playground for children of all abilities. Kids will love the zipline and rock-climbing areas.

The Prairie Path consists of a 61-mile network of bicycle and walking trails throughout DuPage County. The Prairie Path runs through Elmhurst and has some fun kid-friendly stops along the way. Bring your bikes and ride to several Elmhurst playgrounds, the Spring Road business district, and more. In neighboring Villa Park, Fuel and Crème, and MORE Brewing Company are fun stops along the way.

For the adults in the group, Elmhurst has become known for its great selection of breweries. It may surprise you to find that breweries are actually really fun and kid-friendly. With a laid-back atmosphere, games, and outdoor spaces, the breweries in Elmhurst are great for grabbing a brew, lunch, and playing a round of UNO with your kids. Notable Elmhurst breweries and bottle shops include Elmhurst Brewing Company, Bottle Theory, and Phase Three Brewing. Each location is walkable from either the train or the Prairie Path. Check out our family-friendly brewery guide here for more around Chicagoland.

Best Restaurants for Kids in Elmhurst

If you’re in the mood for a quick bite to eat or a sweet treat, there are plenty of options in Elmhurst.

This casual hotdog restaurant is perfect for kids. Photo courtesy of Southtown Hot Dogs

Accessible from the Prairie Path and features hot dogs, burgers, chicken tenders, amazing milkshakes, and soft-serve ice cream options.

This sweet stop started with two sisters and their love for baking. Named after one of their courageous battles with Leukemia, this Elmhurst staple has a downtown café (one in Oak Park as well) and a food truck you’ll see around town.Try one of their café bites or famous cupcakes.

A local staple in Elmhurst featuring Italian desserts and delicacies. Stop in for Italian cookies or a scoop of their famous gelato.

A fun local donut bakery located in downtown Elmhurst. You’ll find classic donuts mixed with creative recipes and fun toppings. Hello Donut is always a hit with kids and adults.

Stray Hen is heavy on the breakfast foods. Photo courtesy of the Stray Hen Cafe

A great casual spot for breakfast and lunch.

This restaurant offers burgers, hotdogs, sandwiches, delicious shakes, and even salads for the healthy eaters.

An Italian joint with pizza, pasta, and a great kids' menu.

Where to Shop in Elmhurst with Kids

If you’re looking for a special birthday shopping trip or a place to buy fun kids' gifts, there are a few awesome kids' stores in Elmhurst to check out. Jelly’s Children’s Boutique and Ice Cream Bar features ice cream and a fun collection of children’s gifts and toys.

Bazzy Boutique has tons of cute bath and beauty products. You’ll find unique bath bombs, gifts, kid-friendly nail polish, and more. Kie and Kate Couture has adult clothing and home goods but also a cute assortment of kids and baby items and gifts.