Board Briefs

Board Briefs is a newsletter-style summary of the highlights of the Board of Education's discussion and action. You can find the meeting agenda online here and look for minutes to be posted after they are approved at the next regular BOE meeting (October 16, 2025).

The Board agenda and documents presented at the meeting are included in the Board Packet, and the meeting was streamed live and recorded on the District YouTube channel.

Caruso Principal Mark Schwarz introduced teacher Dana Spies, who guided students in creating Caruso's "Community Corner." He said that Ms. Spies and the students are leaving a legacy at Caruso.

She explained that the strategic plan at Caruso calls for, "Building a better community." The students sought to get to know staff members across the school. Every person they met reached out to share how impactful it was for them to be recognized.

One of the students shared the positive impact on him of being part of this work, and that he would like to interview Board members for an upcoming "Community Connections" (the new name for "Community Corner").

Each meeting, Superintendent Mike Simeck provides information and updates on initiatives, events, notable achievements and other timely information.

Superintendent Simeck celebrated the launch of High-Five Friday in District 109, a Stronger Together Deerfield partnership with the Deerfield Police and Fire Departments. Last Friday, at Kipling, students were greeted as they came to school by Deerfield first responders.

Mr. Simeck gave an update on the reorganization of TrueNorth. He said that the current proposal includes a $0 membership and a fee-based model for services, and that the Board will need to decide whether or not to rescind their petition to withdraw from the cooperative.

Mr. Simeck encouraged the community to visit dps109.org/redefine to learn about and provide feedback on the referendum proposal. Board members who attended the sessions at Wilmot and Walden shared their takeaways from listening to community members, including the strong engagement throughout the community around education. Mr. Simeck shared dates for upcoming information sessions:

• September 25, Kipling, 6:30pm

• October 7, Patty Turner Center

• October 8, South Park, 6:30pm

• October 18, Wilmot, 10:30am

The District just learned that District 109’s Board of Education is one of 42 to earn the Illinois Association of School Boards 2025 School Board Governance Recognition designation.

Community members are encouraged to attend Board of Education meetings and contribute during the community participation periods. In all regular Board of Education meetings, the Board follows a set agenda that include two opportunities for community participation, one to address matters related to the agenda, and one open participation period later in the meeting. D109 Board Briefs provides a summary of the topics addressed by those who speak; the meeting recording, above, provides a full recording of comments from the community. Joseph Kopsick, who is not a member of the Deerfield community, spoke about Nazi Germany.

Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations Dr. John Filippi presented the following informational items:

• Freedom of Information (FOIA) Requests
• Annual Enrollment Update: Enrollment is tracking as predicted and expected to remain stable
• Succession Plan
• Employee Compensation Report: The staff salary and benefits report will be posted on the District website after approval
• Intergovernmental Agreement for GIS School Safety Mapping

The Board approved the consent agenda, including meeting minutes, bills for payment and destruction of closed session audio. They also approved the Treasurer's Report, the previously presented enrollment update, succession plan and employee compensation report, and Board policies.

Board Vice President Kelly Jakymiw reported that the Facility Development Committee met before the meeting to hear progress updates on master facility planning and proposed summer 2026 work.

Board President Ryan Kuo thanked Rebecca Rudd for her role in the successful application for the IASB School Board Governance award. He also thanked Board members for participating in listening sessions. He emphasized that there is a lot of good learning for the Board in hearing from the community, as the Board does not take taxing decisions lightly. He stressed that the decision about the referendum has not been made, but the Board has recognized that something must be done to meet the mission and vision we want to achieve and the expectations of our community.