Board Update November 2024
Student Achievement Report, School Calendar for 2025-26
District 28 student proficiency in English language arts and math are among the highest in the state according to recently released data from the 2024 Illinois Assessment of Readiness.
The IAR is one of the assessments the district uses to monitor student success. The IAR is a standardized assessment that measures student knowledge and skills by grade level in grades 3-8. Superintendent Dr. Kris Raitzer said it is a challenging assessment; the benchmark for proficiency is the fourth highest in the nation.
District-wide, the percentage of students who meet or exceed state standards in English language arts grew three percentage points to 81% in 2024. These results place the district scores in the top 1% in the state. In math, the percentage of students who meet or exceed state standards has been fairly stable for the past three years with a score of 74% in 2024, which also is in the top 1% in the state.
Dr. Raitzer and Director of Learning Michelle Jackson presented the district’s annual Assessment Report. The report also includes scores by school and by student cohort. The cohort data allows the district to monitor student growth as they progress through the grades.
“Teachers are doing a great job of challenging students and providing the level of rigor that students need,” Dr Raitzer said. “We see fewer students performing at the lowest levels and more students at the higher levels as students grow through the years.”
The Illinois Science Assessment, which is administered to 5th and 8th grade students around the same time, shows a 4.3 percent gain, resulting in 86.4% meeting or exceeding state standards. Ms. Jackson said there were multiple factors that impacted the results. Elementary grades began using a new curriculum last year, Smithsonian Science For The Classroom, which is more hands-on, scientific research-based learning. At Northbrook Junior High, science teachers have also refined assessments to measure how well students apply learned information to new situations.
Each school principal shared how their teachers analyze student performance, adjust instructional strategies and design student supports based on the results.
“While we hold high expectations for our students in terms of academic achievement, it is essential that we don’t lose sight of our commitment to educating the whole child,” said Dr. Scott Meek, Northbrook Junior High Principal. “We learned through our cohort work with Dignity Consulting that a sense of belonging must come before achievement, not after. We want to ensure that our students feel supported in their work and that we value their efforts. Along those lines, our primary focus this school year is to create a more supportive school environment.”
The calendar for the coming school year will mirror this year’s calendar. The first day of school for K-8 students will be the third Wednesday in August, Aug. 20, and the last day for all K-8 students will be June 2 unless emergency days are used during the school year.
Glenbrook High School District 225 is shifting the start of school to the second week in August so that final exams can be held before winter break, Dr. Jason Pearson said. The elementary districts in the township agreed to continue with the same start and end times, but ensure that winter break and spring break continue to align with the high school district.
Due to the 2026 primary election, a School Improvement Day (no student attendance) will be held on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. The School Improvement Day is usually a half-day scheduled on the Friday preceding the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday in January.
Winter break will begin Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. School resumes Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. Spring break will be March 23-27, 2026.
A three-month community engagement effort seeking input on the district’s facilities needs will wrap up this month. A community wide survey is continuing through November 25. Community building tours conclude with Meadowbrook on Thursday, Nov. 21.
A volunteer facilitating team made up of parents, residents and staff has been studying the Facilities Master Plan and hosted two community workshops in October. Feedback collected from the workshops, building tours and survey will be used to develop a recommendation to the Board of Education, which will be presented at a special meeting at 7 p.m. on Dec. 18.
Residents are encouraged to participate in the online survey through Nov. 25.
Each year, the school board must adopt a property tax levy to fund the district for the following school year. By law, a school district is limited to increasing property tax revenues over the previous year by no more than the annual Consumer Price Index or 5%, whichever is less, plus new property growth. Property taxes account for 82% of district revenues.
Chief School Business Official Jessica Donato said she is overestimating new property growth to ensure the district captures all revenues that will be available under the state formula. The levy request is $48.6 million, a 9.97% increase over 2023. However, the actual total revenue she expects the district to receive is $46.6 million, a 5.43% increase from last year. The expected increase is based on the Consumer Price Index of 3.4%, which is set annually by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and local property development, which is expected to increase revenues by 2%.
Ms. Donato said the purpose of requesting a levy higher than what is expected to be received is to ensure all unknown property growth is captured when it is first available. Additional revenues help cover unknown costs that are beyond the district’s control. Some examples are increased insurance costs, a higher enrollment that may require additional staff, utility costs, student needs for special education, emergency facility maintenance and repair, and reduced state funding.
