Board Highlights

This newsletter features highlights from District 97 Board of Education meetings.

Click here to access full meeting agendas and packets. Recordings of our meetings are also available on our YouTube page. For more about our board, visit www.op97.org/boe.

The Jan. 13 Board of Education meeting included several important updates and discussions. In this issue, you’ll find:

A superintendent search update, highlighting the Board’s transition into candidate review and interviews, along with a save-the-date for a community town hall with finalists later this month.
A presentation on how District 97 supports accelerated learning, outlining the range of acceleration options available to students and how families can learn more about the identification and application process.
An overview of District 97’s performance on the Illinois School Report Card, including areas of growth and opportunities for continued improvement, particularly through an equity lens.

As always, full meeting materials—including presentations, packets, and recordings—are available on our board platform, Diligent.

The District 97 Board of Education marked a key milestone in the superintendent search this week, as the process entered the candidate review and interview phase.

A representative from the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) met with the board in closed session on Jan. 13 to share a slate of recommended candidates for superintendent. These recommendations followed the close of the application window on Jan. 7 and a round of screening interviews conducted by IASB last week.

The board discussed next steps in the process, including plans to conduct first-round interviews with candidates during the week of Jan. 26.

What’s Next: Virtual Town Hall on Jan. 29

The board is planning to host a virtual community town hall for superintendent finalists, facilitated by IASB. Details are below:

📅 Thursday, Jan. 29
⏰ 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
📍Virtual

Community members will be invited to watch the town hall and share feedback through an online survey. Additional details about the format and registration will be shared soon.

Following the community engagement opportunity and subsequent interview rounds, the board is aiming to name the district’s next superintendent by next month.

The board thanks staff, families, students, and community members for their continued engagement and thoughtful input throughout the superintendent search and remains committed to a transparent process that reflects the values and priorities of the District 97 community.

Transformation Goal 2: We Design for ALL

At its Jan. 13 meeting, the District 97 Board of Education received a presentation on the district’s single-subject and whole-grade acceleration programs, led by Emilie Creehan, director of teaching and learning. The presentation outlined how District 97 identifies and supports students who may benefit from accelerated learning opportunities, in alignment with the Illinois Accelerated Placement Act.

Acceleration in District 97

District 97 believes all students should be appropriately challenged and supported to reach their full potential. Acceleration is one way the district meets this commitment by offering students the opportunity to access curriculum that is typically taught at a higher grade level when data indicates it is an appropriate fit.

Acceleration options include:

Early entrance to kindergarten or first grade;
Single-subject acceleration, in which a student receives instruction in one subject at a higher grade level;
Whole-grade acceleration, in which a student advances to a higher grade level for all subjects.

Access to the acceleration referral process is open to all students, and decisions are made using a fair, equitable, and data-informed process that draws on multiple measures.

How the Acceleration Process Works

The presentation reviewed the district’s acceleration process, which is grounded in the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) framework and emphasizes collaboration and communication. Families, teachers, students, or administrators may refer a student during the application window. School-based MTSS teams review multiple data points—including academic performance, assessments, and student input—and work closely with families throughout the process. Final placement decisions are shared with families by early June.

The board also reviewed the distinction between state-mandated acceleration and Access to Algebra, noting that these are separate pathways designed to meet different student needs.

Acceleration vs. Access to Algebra information

Upcoming Family Information Sessions

As shared in recent district newsletters, families interested in learning more about acceleration opportunities are invited to attend upcoming information sessions:

Early Entrance to Kindergarten/First Grade
📅 Wednesday, Jan. 28, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
📍 Julian Middle School
Single-Subject and Whole-Grade Acceleration (Grades K–8)
📅 Wednesday, Feb. 18, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
📍 Julian Middle School

These sessions will provide an overview of eligibility, timelines, and the application process, as well as an opportunity for families to ask questions.

Families are encouraged to visit the District 97 website for the most up-to-date details.

To view the full presentation, click the following links: Recording | Slides

Flyer for Early Entrance Family Information Night on Jan. 28

Flyer for Accelerated Learning Family Information Night on Feb. 18

Transformation Goal 2: We Design for ALL

During its Jan. 13 meeting, the board reviewed District 97’s Illinois School Report Card data, released statewide in late October. Dr. Anna Colaner, the district’s senior director of data analytics and research, shared highlights that reflected growth as well as important opportunities to strengthen outcomes and advance equity.

Overall, the data shows positive momentum across several indicators. All District 97 schools earned Commendable or Exemplary summative designations this year (as previously shared in the Nov. 1 Weekly Wrap-Up), and student growth on the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) has improved in recent years. Most student groups demonstrated average or above -average growth in both English language arts and math.

At the same time, the report card reinforces that significant work remains, especially in advancing the district’s equity goals. While equity gaps are minimal in some areas—such as educator-related measures—moderate gaps persist in learning conditions and larger gaps remain in student learning outcomes, including proficiency rates when compared across student groups and to peer districts.

The Illinois Report Card represents one important data source—rather than a complete picture of student performance. District 97 will continue using this information to guide improvement efforts, align with the district’s Transformation Goals, and focus on excellence with equity, ensuring that growth translates into improved outcomes for every student.

To view the full presentation, click the following links: Recording | Slides

District 97 teacher librarians Laurie Conley (Whittier) and Katie Noonan (Irving) kicked off this year’s “One Book, One District” initiative with a presentation introducing the 2026 selection, Wedgie and Gizmo.

The presentation highlighted how the program builds a shared love of literacy and community across District 97, with students, staff, and families reading and engaging together throughout the month.

➡️ Click here to view the presentation.

Next Board Meeting

The District 97 Board of Education will hold a special board meeting on Monday, Jan. 26, for the purpose of closed session interviews with superintendent candidates.

The next regularly scheduled meeting will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 27.

Meeting agendas, recordings and materials can be found on our new Diligent platform: https://op97.diligent.community/Portal/

Have a question about District 97 Board Meetings or Board Highlights?

Please reach out using Let's Talk: www.op97.org/letstalk!

Board Highlights