Board Highlights

The District 97 Board of Education has selected the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) to lead the search for the district’s next superintendent. IASB brings more than 50 years of experience supporting Illinois districts in identifying strong, visionary leaders.

As part of this process, the board is seeking input from staff, families, and community members to help shape the leadership profile for the position. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts on District 97’s strengths, challenges, and priorities for the future—and the qualities you’d like to see in the next superintendent.

👉 Take the survey here.
🗓️ The survey is open through Wednesday, Nov. 6, at 11:45 p.m.

IASB will compile all feedback into a leadership profile to be shared with the Board and community later this fall.

During the meeting, Chief Safety Officer Felicia Starks Turner and Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Schools Patrick Robinson provided a brief safety update, reiterating how the district continues to support students, staff, and families in response to the ongoing reports of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in Oak Park and surrounding communities.

They acknowledged the concern and anxiety these reports have caused and reaffirmed the district’s commitment to maintaining safe, welcoming, and inclusive learning environments for everyone.

Families can learn more using the resources below:

• District Message: Our Commitment to Safe and Welcoming Schools

• Immigration Resources for Families

The Board of Education took a proactive step on Oct. 28 to authorize the preparation—but not the immediate issuance—of Tax Anticipation Warrants (TAWs). This measure ensures the district can maintain normal operations if delays in Cook County’s property tax payments create a temporary funding gap.

Like many districts across the county, District 97 depends on scheduled property tax distributions to fund daily operations. Recent delays in Cook County’s payment schedule, along with outstanding state and federal reimbursements, have created the potential for a short-term cash flow challenge later this fall.

This measure does not mean the district will automatically issue TAWs. It simply provides the flexibility to do so next month if the county’s delayed payments continue. If issued, TAWs would be repaid immediately once those funds are received, ensuring District 97 remains fiscally responsible while continuing to meet all obligations to staff and students without disruption.

Transformation Goal 2: We Design for All

At Tuesday’s meeting, district leaders shared the latest updates on District 97’s Middle School Redesign, an initiative focused on creating learning experiences that are responsive, challenging, and empowering for every student at Brooks and Julian.

Assistant Superintendent for Middle Schools Dr. Luis Fernando De León, along with Principals Nick Filipowski (Julian) and April Moriarty (Brooks), highlighted how feedback from students, staff, and families continues to shape this important work. Updates included efforts to make lunchtime and social time more structured and supportive, align course offerings across both schools, and strengthen the new “What I Need” (WIN) block, which provides targeted academic support and enrichment opportunities. The team also shared next steps in developing a consistent approach to Advisory to help students build stronger relationships and a greater sense of belonging.

Leaders celebrated the success of this year’s Middle School Connection program, which welcomed nearly 600 incoming sixth-graders through fun, hands-on activities and community-building experiences. Ninety-seven percent of students said the program helped them feel more prepared for middle school, an encouraging indication that the district’s redesign efforts are already making an impact.

Next steps include gathering mid-year feedback from students, staff, and families to continue refining the middle school experience and ensuring equitable, engaging opportunities for all. Additional updates are planned throughout the year, including presentations on student services, social-emotional learning, and career exploration.

During Monday’s meeting, Dr. Eboney Lofton, Chief Learning Innovation Officer, and Patrick Robinson, Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Schools, shared highlights from the district’s 2025 summer programs. This year’s offerings served more than 1,000 students across 10 programs—ranging from FUNdations and Extended School Year (ESY) to Robotics, Music Camp, Middle School Explore, and Access to Algebra.

Each program was designed to support student growth through a blend of academic reinforcement, youth development, and enrichment experiences that align with the Portrait of an Oak Park 8th Grade Graduate.

Families and students who participated in 2025 programs reported high satisfaction, and data showed strong academic gains—particularly among multilingual learners and students in FUNdations, Math Review, and Access to Algebra. The district also continued its collaboration with community partners like the Oak Park Education Foundation and the Park District of Oak Park to expand enrichment opportunities for students.

Looking ahead to Summer 2026, the district plans to launch registration earlier, enhance curriculum and staff training based on feedback, and expand outreach to ensure all families receive information about available programs. The goal remains the same: to provide equitable, engaging summer learning opportunities for every student in District 97.

The District 97 Calendar Committee has been meeting to develop options for next year’s school calendar, following Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200’s recent adoption of its 2026–27 calendar.

For next year, the high school will start a week later than usual to allow for planned construction. To account for that change, our committee is reviewing three possible calendar options that vary slightly in start and end dates, Institute Days, and holidays. Because many families have students in both districts, District 97 typically works to align calendars as closely as possible.

Based upon board feedback a recommended calendar will be shared for approval in November.