October 2026 Board Meeting Recap
Fremont School District 79
Regular Board Meeting
Board President Gabriela Whipple remarked on a milestone in the construction of the new CTE/STEM lab at Fremont Middle School as students and staff had the opportunity to sign the final structural beam for the project. The new lab is slated for completion this winter. She also previewed the meeting presentation on social-emotional learning practices and the RULER rollout, and reiterated the importance of all students needing to feel safe and a sense of. belonging to learn to the best of their abilities.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Trisha Kocanda acknowledged all of the students who have been involved in sports and other activities this fall, including highlighting a cross country state qualifier, and also the efforts of the middle school color guard. She stated that October 23 is Principal Appreciation Day and October 27 is Illinois Bus Driver Appreciation Day, thanking each of those hard-working groups for all that they do for the District's students each day. Finally, she made it known that the Fremont board has been named a recipient of the 2026 School Board Governance Recognition from the Illinois Association of School Boards, while Board Secretary Shawn Killackey earned Distinguished Board Member recognition at the recent IASB Lake County meeting.
Pledge of Allegiance
The meeting's Pledge of Allegiance was led by students from Lincoln Early Learning Center.
Recognition
The meeting's recognition was for Fremont Middle School teacher and athletic director Andrea Poglayen for going above and beyond while modeling a student-empowerment approach.
Presentation
Social-Emotional Learning Strategic Goal Update
Krista Winkelman, Executive Director of Student Services, provided an update on the District's social-emotional learning practices, aligned with the strategic goal of a Safe, Healthy & Connected Culture. The District is in the second year of its implementation of the RULER framework, as all classrooms are developing Charters and incorporating the Mood Meter. FSD79's Portrait of a Graduate is being integrated to map competencies, with ongoing communication being shared with families to bridge culture between school and home. Staff action steps include interrupting hateful or unsafe words and actions, supporting students who were targeted or impacted, and reporting incidents to administration. Middle school students will be taking part in upstander training in December to lead sessions with the District's younger students.
Informational Items
Dr. Kocanda shared that the District continues to work alongside legislators, utility experts, and municipal planners regarding regional infrastructure developments such as the proposed multi-building data center project in Grayslake. FSD79 will maintain open dialogue with the community, including feedback opportunities on long-term fiscal priorities and taxpayer relief models once revenue structures are verified. The project was discussed at the October 5 Finance and Facilities Meeting, and the District is working closely with the local tax assessor for a fair, research-based approach.
Regarding litigation against the Village of Mundelein concerning impact fees for Walnut Ridge and the adjacent "Agricultural Property" developments, D79 and D120 are working with the attorney to gather expert testimony and reports in preparation for a trial. The Village of Mundelein has not reached out to engage in any collaborative efforts to work towards another solution out of court.
The Village of Round Lake approved a new impact fee ordinance that was not endorsed by local school districts. However, the Village's amended code preserves the Village's ability to address unique circumstances when annexing property with extraordinary capital needs, allowing the Village the flexibility to negotiate additional land or cash above the impact fee formula as part of an annexation agreement.
Monthly Strategic Plan Refresh Update
FSD79 is embarking on a refresh of its Strategic Plan, with the new plan spanning from 2027-2032. Since the September Board meeting, the District has created an infographic that details accomplishments and highlights of the current plan, while feedback sessions have been held with intermediate and middle school staff. Additionally, the planning process was previewed in the Fremont Focus e-newsletter and was announced at the Mundelein Joint Officials forum. The forthcoming Fremont Digest mailed newsletter will also detail the process for the community. Focus group sessions are planned in the next two weeks for alumni who attend Fremont's receiving high schools, as well as staff meetings with the elementary school and Lincoln Early Learning Center staff.
Fall Student Growth and Achievement Update
Dr. Brian Bullis, Assistant Superintendent of Learning, provided an update on the District's student growth and achievement. Fall 2026 NWEA MAP scores demonstrated that all seven of the grades that took the assessment met or exceeded growth projections from last fall to this fall. Additionally, FSD79's schools have received the following designations from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) for 2026:
- Elementary: Exemplary (highest designation)
- Intermediate: Exemplary (highest designation)
- Middle: Approaching Exemplary (second-highest designation)
The District's annual safety meeting was held on September 28 alongside numerous area law enforcement and emergency response organizations. Key topics included the implementation of the I Love U Guys Standard Response Protocol within the District’s Crisis Preparedness Plan, along with facility and equipment upgrades designed to strengthen overall security measures. Participants engaged in a tabletop exercise to apply response protocols, reinforcing coordinated procedures across district and community teams.
The Following Action Items Were Approved:
- Resolution 27-08 Authorizing Disposal of School District Personal Property
- Resolution 27-09 Authorizing Commencement of Social Media Litigation
- Proposal from Wold Architects and Engineers for the Elementary School Soffit Replacement Project
To view the Board Packet materials from the October 19, 2026, meeting, click here.
Fremont School District 79
Address: 28855 North Fremont Center Road, Mundelein, IL
Phone: (847) 566-0169
Website: fsd79.org
Instagram: @FSD79
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/fremont-school-district-79
YouTube: youtube.com/FSD79