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 and look for minutes to be posted after they are approved at the next regular BOE meeting (January 22, 2026).

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.

The Board held a hearing is to seek public comment on the District's withdrawal from the TrueNorth Cooperative with an effective date of July 1, 2027. There was no public comment.

Chief Communications Officer Cathy Kedjidjian shared that the District participated in community events during the holiday season:

• Students from each D109 school made holiday ornaments that now hang on the holiday tree in Village Hall.

• Donations from 160+ community members provided gift cards & winter wear for 50 families,
  (197 people) Together We Give Holiday Drive. In addition, items collected during the fall food and supply drives went directly to D109 families. Administrators helped sort and distribute items before break.

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

Superintendent Simeck reported that The Delegate Assembly was held on November 22, 2025 in conjunction with the IASB Joint Annual Conference. One resolution to support funding a school bus safety measure was approved. Ten Constitutional Amendments were also adopted.

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. The following community members spoke:

• Deb Singleton, community member, spoke about investing in our schools and climate sustainability measures for the potential projects.
• Bruce Heitzinger, community member, shared concerns about the tax impact and the impacts of new housing developments.
• Kyle Manders, D109 parent, spoke about learning environments and how the referendum is an investment in our children.
• George Klauke, community member, expressed concerns about the plan for Walden school and the desire for a swing site.
• Bryan Kirchen, community member, shared concerns about the state of facilities, but would like the Board to wait on placing this on the ballot.
• Jennifer Luttig-Komrosky, D109 parent, shared concerns on the impact of the space crisis at Walden on students.
• Donna Osborn, community member, expressed multiple concerns about the plan, the process to develop it and the high level of taxes.
• Justin Wright, D109 parent, shared lack of Walden input on the task force.
• Alan Weisz, community member, spoke about the tax sensitivity in Deerfield and inquired about a November 2026 election.
• Jason Cohen, D109 parent, knows that the schools are in disrepair and that taxes are high, but is concerned about what happens if the referendum does not pass.

Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations Dr. John Filippi shared that the District responded to two Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.

This agreement allows the District to provide coverage by an experienced administrator for a school administrator who will be on leave.

Superintendent Mike Simeck explained that, at this time, it is in the best interests of the District to pursue a withdrawal from the cooperative as of July 1, 2027 (after previously rescinding the resolution to withdraw as of July 2026).

Assistant Superintendent for Finance & Operations John Filippi explained that this annual process allows his office to begin creating the budget.

Dr. Filippi explained that it would be most logical for students who live in this new development to attend South Park Elementary School.

Throughout 2025, Deerfield Public Schools District 109 engaged the community to gather feedback on long-term facility needs across all six schools. Outreach included in-person and virtual information sessions, two informational mailers sent to 7,889 registered voter households, online resources, videos and earned media coverage..

In November, the District conducted a public opinion survey to better understand community priorities and concerns. Nearly 1,500 residents responded, representing an 18 percent response rate. Consultant Paul Hanley of Beyond Your Base presented the survey results to the Board of Education. Results showed strong awareness of the proposal, with 85 percent of respondents reporting they had read or heard at least some information about Redefine 109. Respondents gave the District high marks overall, with 80 percent assigning an A or B grade. Facilities received lower ratings, with 49 percent giving an A or B and 35 percent giving a C, D, or F.

The survey also highlighted significant tax sensitivity. Seventy-nine percent of respondents said they were somewhat or very concerned about the tax impact of a potential referendum. While there was support for addressing aging infrastructure, safety and accessibility, support for the originally proposed $121.4 million referendum fell below the level typically needed for passage.

Based on this feedback, District leadership reviewed alternative options with the citizen-led Referendum Task Force. The revised referendum proposal that the Task Force recommended to the Superintendent totals $87,780,000; it increases the District's contribution in alternative and scales back certain elements of the original plan. This option would maintain core safety, infrastructure and accessibility improvements, while deferring or simplifying some features such as multipurpose room additions, select building systems, and site elements.

Under this revised option, the estimated tax impact for homeowners would be about $359 per year for every $10,000 of their current property tax bill, lasting for 25 years. This amount is 33% less than the original proposal, estimated a yearly impact of about $536 over the same time period.

The Board approved the consent agenda, including meeting minutes, personnel items and bills for payment. They also approved the Treasurer's Report, recommendation to accept the FY25 audit and the resolution to rescind the District's withdrawal from TrueNorth.

The Board approved three resolutions relating to the tax levy:

• The Aggregate Levy for 2025
• The Supplemental Tax Levy to Pay Principal & Interest on Outstanding Limited Bonds
• The Levy for Special Education Purposes

The Board voted unanimously to place a revised referendum question on the March 17, 2026, ballot.

The updated plan calls for new construction of Walden and Wilmot and renovations of Kipling and South Park. It continues to address critical infrastructure priorities, accessibility, safety and security needs, and improvements to learning environments across the District. You can view details in the full presentation from the meeting.

In the coming months, District 109 will provide multiple opportunities for community members to learn all the details, including in-person and virtual information sessions. Our goal is to ensure that every member of the District 109 community can be an informed voter. Election Day is March 17, 2026. We will keep you informed about voter registration, early voting and vote-by-mail opportunities, and Election Day information.

Referendum details, the schedule of information sessions, a tax-impact calculator, and answers to frequently asked questions are available now at dps109.org/redefine.