The District 64 Board of Education held a regular meeting on Thursday, January 15, 2026. You can watch or listen to a replay of the January 15 regular board meeting.
D64 Shining Stars
We celebrated Shining Stars from Roosevelt Elementary School this month. It was great to learn more about how Social Worker Linda Mirza and 5th Grader Angela Skoskiewicz embody the heart and spirit of the District 64 mission. Read more about Mirza and Skoskiewicz.
We also got to congratulate former student and current Maine South High School senior James Sullivan for completing his Eagle Scout project, which directly benefits our physical education programs. Learn more about James Sullivan's Eagle Project.
Superintendent Update
Dr. Ben Collins provided updates on construction, financials, and the district’s strategic planning.
- Tax Anticipation Warrants: Following last month’s concerns regarding delayed tax distributions from Cook County, Dr. Collins shared some positive news. The District has received about 60% of our distributions and, as a result, we did not have to issue the Tax Anticipation Warrants authorized in December.
- Bond Sales (from the Referendum): We're thrilled to share that the incredible help we've received in managing our finances has resulted in savings that exceed our initial expectations from the recent bond sales! We knew we had savings on the first bond sale, and we surpassed those numbers with the second. This is wonderful news for all our taxpayers, as it will positively influence the entire repayment period of these bonds.
- Construction: The Board reviewed updates on the additions at Lincoln, Franklin, and Field. The Field addition is nearing completion, with classrooms expected to be ready for furniture soon. Additionally, Dr. Collins said that we are working with our construction company to quickly fix the new lockers at Field, which were manufactured in an unacceptable manner, with sharp edges that have led to some cuts as students try to open them.
Prep for the Tentative Budget for 2027-28
Adoption of Resolution #1381 Directing the Chief School Business Official Under the Direct Supervision of the Superintendent to Begin Preparation of a Tentative Budget for the 2027-2028 Fiscal Year in accordance with Board Policy 4:10 Fiscal & Business Management & the Illinois School Code 105 ILCS 5/17-1
- Motion Approved
Construction Bids
Approval of Construction Bids for Summer 2026 Work at Carpenter and Franklin
- Motion Approved
Emergency Amendment to the Transportation Services Agreement
Adoption of Resolution #1382 Authorizing the Emergency Expenditure of Funds and the Approval of an Amendment to the Transportation Services Agreement with Safeway Transportation Services Corp
- Motion Approved
Student Services Action Plan Update
Assistant Superintendent for Student Services Alicia Schmeisser, along with Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Dr. Joel Martin, gave an update on staffing and the Student Services Action Plan.
The Student Services Action Plan Committee has been working since the fall of 2022 on addressing needs within special education in District 64. One of the main focuses of the committee has been to expand the continuum of services offered by the District. This expansion has two significant benefits. The first allows the District to provide specialized services within the District, reducing the reliance on outplacements to support the special education needs of District 64 students. The second permits the District to create specialized and targeted environments, structures, and instruction for students with specific needs. This has benefits for students, who then learn alongside like-peers, as well as teachers, who can tailor their instruction to a more similar student population.
This year, Lincoln and Emerson Middle Schools have implemented four specialized programs: HOPE (our program supporting students with social-emotional learning needs), SLC (the continuation of our program at Washington where students benefit from the structured teaching model), Academic Life Skills (our program that targets both academic and functional growth), and Functional Life Skills (our program that targets functional independence).
In the upcoming 2026-2027 school year, these specialized programs will expand to the elementary schools. Consequently, expanding our continuum necessitates adding staff, including special education teachers and related service providers. Additionally, the District has seen an increase in students who are more impacted by their disability and therefore require more intensive, special education services in a smaller setting.
The following positions have been identified to expand our continuum and support the increased needs of students starting from early childhood. It is important to note that currently, these roles would be cost-neutral due to several offsets: five retirement positions not being filled based on a decrease in enrollment, the savings in replacing retirees with new hires, and reductions resulting from a decrease in the number of student supports required for the upcoming school year.
- Elementary HOPE 2.0 FTE - Special Education Teacher and Social Worker (These positions were approved last year, but are not starting until the 2026-27 school year.)
- Elementary SLC + Functional Life Skills 4.0 FTE - Two Special Education Teachers, One Speech Language Pathologist, and One Occupational Therapist
- Specials/Elective Teacher Increase .7 FTE
Our student services team continues to work with families and the IEP teams to determine if one of these new programs is a good fit for their child. The new programs at the elementary schools are:
- SLC - Washington (continued) and Field
- HOPE - Carpenter
- Functional Life Skills - Franklin
- Academic Life Skills - Field and Roosevelt
View more information about the staffing and student services plan.
Enrollment and Staffing Projections
Dr. Martin presented preliminary enrollment and staffing projections for the 2026-27 school year.
The District anticipates a slight decrease in overall enrollment as larger classes graduate and are replaced by smaller incoming cohorts.
Due to the projected decrease of 130 students for the 2026-27 school year, the District anticipates eliminating 5 classroom sections. Because the District has 18 teachers retiring at the end of the school year, we do not anticipate having to RIF (Reduction in Force) any full-time teachers at this time.
Consent Agenda
Motions Approved
Bills, Payroll, & Benefits
Approval of Financial Update for the Period Ending November 30, 2025
Approval of Personnel Report
1st Reading of Policies from PRESS Issue 120
Approval of Intergovernmental Agreement with Niles Police Department and Districts 63, 64 and 71 on Reciprocal Reporting
Approval of Furniture for Lincoln Science Rooms
Approval of Intercom/Clock Construction Work at Roosevelt, Carpenter, Franklin and Lincoln
Approval of Generator Purchase at Washington
Approval of Minutes