Superintendent News

May 27, 2026

Dear Families, Staff, and Community Members,

Happy last day of school to each of you! As we embark upon the summer and all that it promises for each of our families, it is wonderful to also reflect on the growth and successes of this year as we celebrate another milestone in the educational journey of our students. There are notable and significant milestones like high school graduation, and moving from elementary to middle school or middle to high school, but it is also important along the way to look for other development. This is why our district's Empower95 strategic plan is so critical to the work we do every single day.

Each of you should be able to look at our district Values - academic excellence, accountability, collaboration, equity, integrity, perseverance, and respect - and see them reflected in all that we collectively do as a learning community. Additionally, our learners (and we are ALL learners!) should be demonstrating characteristics and traits of being an Effective Communicator, Global Citizen, Advocate for Self & Others, Future Ready, and Growth Oriented as defined by our Vision - the Portrait of a Graduate. I am continually impressed with the many ways that I see these values and characteristics demonstrated across the learning community. As you reflect on this past school year, be sure to note the growth you see in the learners in your family through this lens, too.

For those students and families with seniors who are moving on from District 95, we wish you all the best and hope that whatever your next steps, you have been empowered to achieve your own personal excellence. Best wishes in your future endeavors!

And for our returning families, we wish you a safe, restful, and healthy summer. Whether your summer includes travel, more time at home with family and friends, enjoying a hobby, or working, we look forward to welcoming you back to school on August 13th, 2026. The full district calendar with other important dates will be published on our website around the beginning of July (click here in early July for the Month by Month Calendar ).

Over the summer, please be on the lookout for email communications relating to the deployment of our new mass communication system, ParentSquare, which offers a more parent-friendly, streamlined way of receiving district and principal communications along with text messages currently sent through Remind. Please see the article below for additional details.

With gratitude,

Dr. Kelley Gallt

Superintendent

We are pleased to share that over the course of the summer and into the fall, the district will transition to the ParentSquare platform for district and principal level communications, as well as for messaging that currently takes place through Remind. We look forward to this exciting transition and wanted to be sure you knew! As we begin a phased rollout this summer, more information will be shared about ParentSquare features, downloading the app, and other important details, including an invitation from ParentSquare to join!

Why the Change?

Over the past two years the district’s Communications Department has been working with stakeholder committees and survey feedback to understand how we can improve our communications in terms of district and principal mass communications, website content, social media, and more.

During the 25-26 school year the Communications Committee took a deeper look into mass communication platforms that are more family friendly, offering more of a “one stop location” for communications, with views by school or by student, in a digest format, in an app, etc. Committee members had an opportunity to trial those platforms from a sending and from a receiving perspective, and provide feedback.

Thank you for your support as we move forward with this exciting transition!

Do you know a Lake Zurich High School graduate who has made a significant mark in their career or through community service? We invite you to nominate them for the LZHS Distinguished Alumni Recognition award. This award celebrates alumni who graduated at least 10 years ago and have demonstrated excellence, integrity, and a commitment to service that reflects the values of our district.

The selected honorees will be recognized at the Homecoming football game, and their photos will be added to the Distinguished Alumni Wall at LZHS.

Let’s honor those who continue to make us proud by nominating deserving alumni today!

https://forms.gle/5AbqHzt3kEnuAoE38

For those families with returning District 95 students and for new-to-district students, please note that registration fees was added to the student’s PushCoin account on May 22nd. The first email notification from PushCoin will occur on the June 10th and will occur again on the 10th of each month. Fees are due prior to August 13, 2026, which is the first day of student attendance. For families with questions on payment plan options or other related inquiries, please contact the business office at businessoffice@lz95.org for assistance.

There’s still time to join the D95 Educational Foundation’s Annual Golf Outing on June 8 at Kemper Lakes Golf Club — but registration closes on June 1st!

This favorite community tradition is more than just a great day on the course. It is an opportunity for families, community members, local businesses, and district supporters to come together in support of innovative learning opportunities for District 95 students and staff. Whether you are registering a foursome, signing up as an individual golfer, or participating as a sponsor, your support directly helps fund impactful programs and experiences across the district.

We would love to see you there as we celebrate another incredible school year and invest in the future of District 95. Spots are filling quickly, so be sure to reserve your place before the June 1st deadline.

Are you too busy to attend or even watch the stream of the district's Board of Education meetings? If so, check out "Board Briefs" - available on the District 95 website and updated shortly after each Board meeting. Video links to monthly Board awards and the Superintendent's report are added, generally the day after the meeting. From the district website, just click on the "School Board" menu and select Board Briefs to see the latest!

If you prefer to stream the meeting (or watch a recording of a past meeting), select Meeting Broadcasts - Live & Saved, from the "School Board" menu on the District 95 website.

In this feature article, “Innovation in the Classroom", we highlight the Superintendent as a member of a classroom for one full period. A different school and class are highlighted in each article, allowing readers a view into the classroom from a new perspective!. These lessons highlight certain aspects of the District 95 Instruction Learning Model.

Teaching Beyond the Classroom through Real-World Application and Collaboration in Mathematics

One of the greatest rewards of serving as your Superintendent is seeing how our district's teaching and learning comes to life in the classroom. This spring, I visited an elementary classroom where mathematics showcased a collaborative journey of discovery.

Across all our buildings, our mathematics goal is to move beyond rote memorization. We want our students to see mathematics as a vital tool for navigating the world. During my visit to Ms. Salmon's classroom, I watched May Whitney elementary students engage in a Project-Based Learning (PBL) initiative centered on a virtual journey across the Appalachian Trail.

This project is a perfect example of how we integrate high-level mathematical concepts into meaningful, real-world scenarios:

• Collaborative Data Analysis: Students worked in teams to maintain detailed Mileage Logs, calculating the percentage of the trail completed versus the distance remaining.

• Financial Literacy in Action: Through the use of "Budget Sheets" students managed the complexities of travel, tracking income and expenses while calculating discounts and sales tax.

• Topographical Mathematics: By tracking elevation spikes across 14 states, students used geometry and data sets to understand the physical reality of the terrain.

To culminate this unit, our students participated in a collaborative dialogue with Andy Rein, a former local resident, Olympic silver medalist, and National Wrestling Hall of Fame member. Mr. Rein recently completed the entire 2,179-mile hike, and he joined our students via Zoom to share his journey. Our students were engaged listeners throughout this incredible experience; they asked sophisticated questions about the logistics of his trip and the resilience required to meet such a massive physical and mental challenge. Comparing their classroom data to his personal photos from the trail allowed students to see that the numbers they calculate in class have real-world counterparts in the lives of adventurers and professionals alike.

By emphasizing collaboration, Ms. Salmon brilliantly taught our students how to communicate their logic and learn from their peers; skills that are essential in schools and in the modern workforce. Whether it is calculating the slope of a mountain or balancing a complex budget, we want our students to walk away with more than just a correct answer. We want them to have the confidence to apply their knowledge to any challenge they encounter.

This visit was a powerful reminder that when we bridge the gap between school and the real world, our students don't just learn math, they learn how to solve problems with purpose.

Thank you to Ms. Salmon for fostering this environment, and to our students for their incredible hard work. Great things are happening across our schools thanks to the talented educators we have leading our classrooms in District 95!

In this feature article, “Innovation in the Classroom", we highlight the Superintendent as a member of a classroom for one full period. A different school and class are highlighted in each article, allowing readers a view into the classroom from a new perspective!. These lessons highlight certain aspects of the District 95 Instruction Learning Model.

During the week of Earth Day, I had the distinct pleasure of visiting Ms. Flemming's 5th-grade classroom at Spencer Loomis Elementary. I walked away deeply moved, not only by our students' passion for preserving our planet but also by the sophisticated way they are using mathematics to solve the challenges of tomorrow.

Guided by one of our talented educators dedicated to making learning purposeful, students engaged in a lesson that merged environmental sustainability with rigorous mathematical analysis. The classroom was filled with energy as students worked through real-world scenarios focused on conservation efforts and the impact we leave on our world.

It was inspiring to hear our students discuss their feelings about Earth Day and how it isn't just a date on the calendar; it is a commitment to ensuring a better, greener tomorrow. By applying math to sustainability, they aren't just solving; they are truly thinking about their future.

One of the most impressive aspects of this classroom visit was watching our students and teacher navigate the inherent challenges of complex problem-solving. As the mathematics reached a high level of difficulty, I witnessed a prime example of expert teaching through dynamic instruction.

When the logic became intricate and the calculations grew dense, Ms. Flemming paused the lesson to ensure no one was left behind. The class intentionally shifted gears to strengthen the core mathematical concepts required for the task, breaking down complex multi-step problems into manageable pieces and preparing students to dive back into the high-level sustainability problems with renewed clarity and confidence. This process is a vital life skill. We want our students to know that when things become difficult, we don't stop; we adjust, we refine our tools, and we approach the solution from a position of strength.

This classroom was a hub of collaborative energy. Students weren't working in silos; they were debating solutions, checking each other's logic, and working together to find the most efficient path to solution finding. This mirrors the exact type of teamwork required in the world to solve our planet's most pressing issues. Seeing our Spencer Loomis students tackle such "thoughtful problems" with both heart and mind gives me immense confidence in our future generations.

Thank you to both Ms. Flemming and the Spencer Loomis community for welcoming me, and a special thank you to our educators who go above and beyond every day to make every lesson count for our students and our world.

In addition to an ongoing need for bus drivers (see below for more information), District 95 also has many other current employment needs including playground/lunchroom supervisors, classroom aides, and more. For a current list of openings, please visit our online job listings by clicking here.

Bus Drivers

Looking for an opportunity to give back to the community? Retired and looking for a way to stay active and connected? A parent wanting to have the same schedule as your children? Want to bring your preschool aged child to work with you? Join our amazing team of bus drivers. NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY.

Benefits Include: · Paid Behind the Wheel Training · Partial Paid Health Insurance · Retirement Benefits · Sick Leave · Personal Days· Competitive Pay including pay for prior experience

Qualifications: · Good Driving Record · Minimum of 21 years old (Drivers) · Pass required Federal Background check · Pass a pre-employment/ annual physical & drug test · Enjoy working with kids!!

If you have any questions, contact the District 95 Transportation Department at 847-438-2834.

Click here to apply online by visiting our website or go to www.lz95.org/jobs ~ Click on Job Openings ~ Select Transportation ~ Select Apply button

Email: feedback@lz95.org
Website: www.lz95.org
Location: 832 S Rand Rd, Lake Zurich, IL, USA
Phone: 847-438-2831
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LZdistrict95

Instagram: @LZdistrict95
X(Twitter): @LZdistrict95