Board Highlights
Business Meeting: Aug. 13, 2024
During the Sept. 24 meeting, key leaders shared updates on our ongoing efforts to elevate professional learning and school improvement across District 97. Here’s how we’re tapping into the expertise of our staff to support student success:
Creating a Collaborative Culture of Professional Learning for All
This year, we’re taking a thoughtful approach to professional learning by first taking stock of where we are. We’re engaging directly with our teachers to better understand their needs, challenges and successes. By leveraging their expertise and experiences, we are able to design professional development opportunities that are impactful and aligned with our district’s goals.
Additionally, we're working to strategically utilize professional learning time to ensure all employees have clarity around roles, performance, and opportunities to grow. Participation in calibration walks will allow us to reflect on the Framework for Teaching, fostering a shared understanding of effective practices.
Through monthly classroom observations, collaborative sessions and tailored coaching, we’re creating a culture where staff learn from each other, grow together, and have the supports they need to help all students thrive.
Focusing on Collaborative Leadership to Drive School Improvement
Each District 97 school creates an annual school improvement logic model—a framework to plan, implement and evaluate school improvement initiatives.
A key component of our school improvement work is collaborative leadership—our district and school administrators, instructional coaches and teacher teams working together to improve core instruction. Through monthly calibration walks, data dives, and collaborative meetings, we’re aligning our efforts to ensure our practices meet the needs of all students.
Building on our work from previous years, our schools will continue to center their focal student cohort—a specific group of students, such as Black students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) or those qualifying for Free and Reduced Lunch, who have historically been underserved in public education settings. Ultimately, we believe that finding ways to improve learning for our focal student cohort will benefit all students in our district. Our goal is to foster more inclusive and effective practices that support every student’s success.
All of our schools will be presenting their school improvement logic models at board meetings throughout the 2024-25 school year. You can view the schedule and full presentation from the Sept. 24 meeting by clicking the following links: Recording | Slides
The District 97 Board of Education officially adopted the budget for fiscal year 2025, reaffirming the district’s commitment to balancing the needs of students and staff with long-term financial sustainability. The administration, in partnership with the board, continues to prioritize fiscal responsibility while ensuring that resources are aligned with the district’s educational goals and values.
During the budget discussion, financial consultant Rob Grossi commended the district for keeping revenues above expenditures in recent years. However, he cautioned that the financial outlook for Illinois schools may soon become more challenging due to a number of factors, including decreasing property and personal tax revenues.
“Your district has improved over the last couple of years financially, but it needs to be noted that your fund balance reserves are still below your peers in terms of monthly reserves, even though we have brought them up,” Grossi said. “We are in a good spot if you take a snapshot of the district now, but know that as you are making decisions moving forward that those challenges are likely going to exist in future budgets.”
The Board and administration will continue to prioritize fiscal responsibility as they navigate these challenges, ensuring that decisions made today support a sustainable financial future for District 97.
Click the following links to learn more about the budget for fiscal year 2025:
Recordings: Aug. 13, 2024 | Sept. 24, 2024
Slides: Final budget presentation
