July 20, 2026 Board Briefs

The Community Consolidated School District 62 Board of Education meeting was held on July 20 2026. The full meeting agenda can be found on Diligent, while a livestream of the meeting can be viewed on our YouTube channel.

The presentation includes a fall to winter comparison of student performance results in math, reading, and social-emotional development from the following locally-based assessments:

• Kindergarten-8th grade iReady Diagnostic
• Kindergarten through 8th grade students: Social Academic Emotional Behavior Rating Scales (SAEBRS) SEL Screener
• Relevant behavior and attendance data

• A brief overview of the assessments
• Our action plan in response to our students’ performance

Click here to access the Student Performance Monitoring presentation

A few highlights include:

• This year’s Title I Summer School was held at two locations, Cumberland Elementary and Chippewa Middle Schools from June 11 through June 30, 2026. This program was funded through our Title I grant with the intention of providing additional instructional support in math and reading to identified students. Just over 400 students enrolled in summer school, with 338 actually attending.
• In accordance with state and federal special education requirements, District 62 provided Extended School Year (ESY) services for students with IEPs at Cumberland Elementary School, Chippewa Middle School and Westerhold Early Learning Center. ESY is designed to support eligible students in maintaining the skills and progress they gained during the school year, minimizing regression and helping them continue making meaningful progress toward their IEP goals. This year's ESY program was held over three weeks, from June 11 through June 30. A total of 148 students participated in ESY.
• District 62 also offered the SPARK Summer Enrichment Program at Westerhold Early Learning Center, providing preschool students with a meaningful summer learning opportunity. The three-week program was held from June 11 through June 30, 2026.The program was offered on a parent-paid basis.
• Parent University was held at Forest School from June 15 to June 26, 2026. This program allowed multilingual parents an opportunity to connect, learn, and grow as a bilingual community. Parents attended various learning sessions from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm, Monday through Thursday, while students participated in engaging and fun activities with D62 staff. This year’s theme was “Passport to Play”. Some of the parent sessions included adult ESL courses, support with digital safety, helping with executive functioning at home, and a special guest visit from Dr. Doug Bolton.
• Iroquois Community School began their school year last week. Staff returned on July 14 to prepare for the new year and to host a “meet and greet” with staff, students, and families. Students in Kindergarten through 8th grade at Iroquois officially began their school year on July 16. Our 10-Month Schools will welcome back students in grades K-8 on Tuesday, August 25. Our preschool students at the WELC will begin on Wednesday, August 26.
• Algonquin and Chippewa Middle Schools will be hosting their traditional half day “camps” for all incoming 6th grade students on Tuesday, August 18. This is a great opportunity for our newest middle schoolers to learn more about their new school, get a tour of the building, walk through their schedules, meet some of their teachers, and get to know some of their new classmates.

Click here to access the

Summer Programs and Preview of SY2026-2027 Kickoff presentation

The Board of Education adopted its annual agenda for the 2026-2027 school year. A copy of the agenda can be accessed here via the Board of Education page on the D62 website: https://www.d62.org/our-story/board-of-education

Rania Lutfallah and Noemi Simons were named Multilingual Coordinators at the July 20 Board of Education meeting.

In their roles as Multilingual Coordinator, both Lutfallah and Simons are responsible for supporting school leaders and staff with meeting the academic, language and social emotional needs of multilingual learners. They will be working with schools in their efforts to support students as they transition to English. They will be responsible for coordinating schedules, overseeing the administration of ACCESS testing (as required by the state) and ensuring students are making measurable gains within state standards. They will also be working in collaboration with families and with the community through such events as Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee (BPAC).

Rania Lutfallah brings more than 20 years of experience in education including an international background in teaching, program leadership and multilingual education. She is familiar with District 62 having been a newcomer English as a Second Language teacher for three years at Chippewa Middle School.

“I am truly honored and excited to serve as Multilingual Coordinator,” said Lutfallah. “Supporting multilingual learners and their families is work I care deeply about, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve this community. I look forward to helping every student feel valued, supported, and empowered to succeed.”

Noemi Simons brings more than 15 years of experience in bilingual and multilingual education. Most recently, she was at the charter network Distinctive Schools serving as Bilingual Program Manager for the past five years.

"I'm incredibly excited to join the team in this new role and continue serving a district that has already become such an important part of my family's life,” said Simons. “As both an educator and a district parent, I understand the impact strong schools have on students and families.”

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Michael Amadei enjoyed the Independence Day Parade. He appreciated the strong representation across the majority of the schools. Dr. Amadei looks forward to visiting Iroquois Community School that began on July 16.

Full day kindergarten construction is going strong. Pepper Construction is working hard to get the remaining elementary schools completed.

Ms. Delgado: Iroquois and Cumberland

Ms. Duckmann: North and Terrace

Ms. Garrett: Chippewa, Forest and Westerhold Early Learning Center

Mr. Haring: Chippewa and Plainfield

Ms. Massa: Algonquin and Orchard Place

Mr. Memon: Algonquin and South