Welcome Back to School in D97

We’ve pulled together 10 key resources and updates to help you start the school year smoothly. Questions or need more information? Please reach out through Let’s Talk.

Find important updates and documents in one central location at op97.org/back-to-school. We recommend bookmarking the page for easy access throughout the year!

📸 Share Your First-Day Smiles!

Help us capture the excitement of the first day of school! Families and staff are invited to share photos from the day with us at communitynews@op97.org.

• A few quick reminders: Please avoid including students’ full names or other identifying information with your photos. If taking photos at school, be mindful of classroom displays, whiteboards, name tags or other materials that may contain student information. As always, please only share photos of students who have permission to be photographed.

We look forward to celebrating the start of another great year across District 97!

All staff return for two Institute Days on Aug. 24 and 25. The first day of school is Wednesday, Aug. 26, and we will follow the district’s regular Wednesday schedule: elementary schools, 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; middle schools, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

You can access all 2026-27 calendars on our website. You can also export these calendars to your personal calendars: visit op97.org/school-calendars and click the export button next to the calendar you want to add to your own.

School Hours

• Elementary Schools: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday), 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (Wednesday)
• Middle Schools: 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (Monday-Friday)

• 2026-27 Academic Calendar: Full overview of the district's calendar for the year.
  
  
• 2026-27 Days-Off Planner: *New* this year, a guide to planning ahead for seasonal school breaks, long weekends and no school days.
  
  
• 2026-27 Identity and Heritage Calendar: This highlights heritage months, identity recognitions, and major religious observances throughout the year, serving as a resource to guide celebrations, events, and planning across the district. It reflects our shared commitment to honoring student identities, amplifying student voice and fostering an inclusive culture in every school.

Breakfast and Lunch Menus

Menus for our elementary and middle schools are available on our Food Services webpage. During the 2026-27 school year, students may:

• Bring a nut-free lunch from home

• Order school lunch
  

My MealTime

Breakfast and lunch payments are processed electronically through your student's My MealTime account. To set up an account and add funds, visit My MealTime. You may elect to sign up for scheduled deposits and/or low-balance alerts. You may also view transaction reports. Please note you will need your student's ID number for registration.

Free and Reduced Lunch Application

All students are required to pay for their breakfast and lunch meals unless they are directly approved by the State of Illinois or approved after completing the 2026-27 Free and Reduced Lunch Application (English/Spanish). We encourage all families who currently qualify to complete the application as soon as possible. Please visit our Food Services webpage for more information.

Food Allergies/Nut-Safe Schools

Nuts and nut products are not allowed in any District 97 schools. This includes products labeled “processed in a facility that shares equipment with nut products.” Our schools have been nut-safe for the past two years — helping to create safer, more inclusive environments for all of our students.

Please visit https://bit.ly/4xFtS83 to access information about the district’s food allergy management program, as well as tips and options for identifying food that is safe for snacks and field trips. We appreciate your support of this important initiative!

The district is currently accepting fee payments for the 2026-27 school year. Full payment is due by September 30, 2026. You can access the fee information by visiting our Fees webpage, or complete payment by clicking the button below.

The State of Illinois requires all kindergartners, sixth-grade students, and students new to the district to submit a current school physical and up-to-date immunization records by the end of the day Oct. 14. Forms are posted on the Health Services webpage.

Please also visit the Health Services webpage for information related to health screenings and medications, district procedures for illness, allergy and asthma management, concussion protocols, and other student health needs.

Have a question about your child’s health needs or required documentation? Please contact your school nurse for assistance.

District 97 is committed to fostering a learning environment in which its students and all community members are emotionally and physically safe. As part of its broader effort to do so, the District is working closely with the Village of Oak Park and Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 to minimize the risk of gun violence in our schools and in our community (see Board Policy 4:174 - Secure Gun Storage).

Secure storage is a simple action a gun owner can take to reduce access to guns among young people, keeping children and families in our community safe. Best practices for secure storage include storing guns unloaded, locked, and separate from ammunition. Click here to visit the village's webpage about safe firearm storage, which includes information about obtaining free gun locks, conversation starters for parents, and other resources for promoting community safety.

District 97 has updated the Student and Family Handbook for 2026-27. It contains important information regarding school policies, procedures, guidelines, student rights and responsibilities, and notifications required by state and federal law.

The purpose of this handbook is to outline for students, families and staff the expectations for building an educational community where everyone feels safe, included and able to learn. Having shared expectations, procedures and policies helps us respect all members of the school community in which we learn and work every day. Please take the time to read through the handbook and review it with your child.

Weekly Wrap-Up - Begins Friday, Aug. 28!

Our Weekly Wrap-Up is our regular district newsletter featuring important updates, upcoming events, reminders and stories from across our schools.

Board Highlights

Our Board Highlights newsletter provides a quick, family-friendly recap of key decisions, discussions and updates from the District 97 Board of Education. Board Highlights are shared following each regular board meeting throughout the school year. You can also visit our board platform, Diligent, for easy access to meeting agendas and materials, presentations, calendars, and video recordings.

Follow us today if you haven't already! Our Facebook and new Instagram (@oakparkd97) feature photos, stories, celebrations and a look at what’s happening across our schools.

District 97 uses BrightArrow to communicate important information with families by email, phone and text. We encourage you to add 855-994-4242 to your phone contacts. This is the number that will appear on your caller ID when your school or the district makes a call through BrightArrow.

Text notifications are sent from the short codes 79041 and 87569. To opt in, text YES to either number. Your phone number must be on file with your child’s school to receive text messages. Once you opt in, you will receive a confirmation message.

District 97 is committed to providing improved language access for all of our students and families. To make it easier to know what’s available, we’ve created a simple one-pager that outlines our translation and interpretation services (click links - English | Spanish). Families can use it as a reference throughout the year.

If you are in need of assistance with translation or interpretation, please contact D97 Administrative Assistant Gabrielle Haynes at ghaynes@op97.org or call 708-524-3000.