D28 Board Update: October 28, 2025

November 3, 2025

Photo: View looking northeast of the new Meadowbrook School

In his Superintendent's Report at the October 28 District 28 Board of Education meeting, Dr. Pearson shared some of the exterior schematic design renderings for new construction at D28 schools, as part of the district's $94.9 million Build 28 initiative.

MEADOWBROOK

The new Meadowbrook gymnasium is the first construction project underway, and it is currently on schedule to be completed this spring. Crews will start installing the building’s steel frame and roof next week. Click here to view a time-lapse video of the construction over the past two months.

Once the gym is complete, crews will begin construction on the new Meadowbrook building, which will seamlessly connect to the new gym. Click here to view exterior schematic design renderings of the new building.

GREENBRIAR
The district is wrapping up the design phase for additions and renovations at Greenbriar School. Additions include a new cafetorium (cafeteria/auditorium) and a new classroom wing. Click here to view an exterior schematic design rendering from the NW side of the school that shows the cafetorium addition. To learn more details about the Greenbriar plans, click here to listen to D28's latest Insight 28 podcast episode!

WESTMOOR
The district is wrapping up the design phase for additions and renovations at Westmoor School. The addition includes a new cafetorium, upgraded restrooms, and some interior renovations. Click here to view exterior schematic design renderings that show the new cafetorium addition.

NBJH
The district is wrapping up the design phase for additions and renovations at NBJH. The addition includes a new cafeteria on the building's west side. The current cafeteria will be renovated to create additional classrooms, and the school's main entry and office areas will be updated to improve accessibility. There will also be student and staff restrooms on each floor. Stay tuned for schematic design renderings!

• March 2026: Meadowbrook gymnasium completed & construction of the new Meadowbrook School begins

• April - June 2026: NBJH, Westmoor & Greenbriar construction begins
  
• Feb. - April 2027: NBJH, Westmoor, & Greenbriar Phase 1 construction completed
  
• August 2027: New Meadowbrook School completed
• February 2028: Greenbriar Phase 2 completed

Property taxes are the primary funding source for the district, accounting for approximately 86% of its annual operating revenues. Each year, the Board must adopt a property tax levy to fund the school district for the following school year. At the October 28 Board meeting, the Board approved the tentative 2025 tax levy. This is the first step in setting the final property tax levy that will support the district's operations in 2026.

Understanding the Levy Request

• Expected Increase: The district expects the final levy to result in an increase of approximately 2.90% over last year's collection, plus any revenue from new property development.

• The "Defensive Levy" Request: However, the Board approved a tentative request of 4.99%. This intentionally higher percentage is a measure known as defensive levying. It allows the district to protect its ability to collect all available funds by accounting for potentially higher-than-expected new property values that won't be finalized until later. The final approved levy will not exceed the 2.90% increase (plus new property) allowed by law.
  
  

Next Steps

The next step in the tax levy approval process is a public hearing scheduled for the December 2 Board meeting. The Board is expected to approve the final, binding tax levy immediately following this hearing on December 2.

At the Oct. 28 Board meeting, the Board approved a resolution to rescind its intent to withdraw from the True North Special Education Cooperative 804. Over the past few months, a committee of superintendents and special education leaders has been meeting to discuss an alternative to dissolution. The goal is to reorganize the Cooperative to align programs and services more closely with the needs of member districts. Key recommendations include:

• Establishing a single, high-quality Therapeutic Day School to serve students with complex social, emotional, behavioral, and developmental needs.
• Eliminating district membership fees beginning in 2026–27, with costs covered through tuition and service delivery fees.
• Continuing to provide itinerant and specialized services to districts on an as-needed basis.
• Transitioning to a new governance model with both a Governing Board of school board members and an Executive Committee of superintendents.

Once TrueNorth reorganizes this winter, it is anticipated that the new program model will launch for the 2026-27 school year. In the meantime, all services and support provided to students through the Cooperative will continue without interruption for the remainder of this school year.

Livestream/Archive Video

The Board of Education meetings are live-streamed on the District 28's YouTube Channel. The live streams are also archived for later viewing.

Next Meeting is on December 2

The Board of Education's next regular meeting is at 7 p.m. on December 2 in the HOH Community Room at the District Office, 1475 Maple Ave., Northbrook.