Back to School Newsletter
August/Agosto 2025
Dear Plano 88 Families,
On behalf of the entire Plano Community Unit School District 88, I am excited to welcome our students and families to the 2025–2026 school year! We are committed to supporting our students in every step of the learning adventure, ensuring each student moves forward in learning with purpose and confidence.
District 88 continues to grow and evolve, with laser focus on academic excellence for all, and building our school to home partnership. We invite our students to explore their passions through participation in clubs, athletics, arts, music, and after-school programs that create vibrant extended learning opportunities for students beyond the classroom. Likewise, we are eager to connect with our families through school and district events. This summer we implemented our One Community, One Family program which offers events focused on building connections between home and school which support student growth and development and provide time for our parents to connect with one another in comfortable and engaging ways. We'll be hosting events this fall, next spring, and in summer 2026. Dates to be announced soon!
Together, let’s make this school year one of connection, growth, and achievement.
Forward Together,
Dr. Tracy Thurwanger
School Registration
If you have not yet registered your student(s) for the 2025-26 school year, please do so immediately. Class rosters, student schedules, and bus routes are being finalized. If your student is not fully registered by Friday, August 9th, they may not have bus service the first week of school.
You can verify if your student's registration has been completed by logging into your PowerSchool parent portal; selecting “forms” on the left navigation; and ensuring all required registration forms indicate “submitted” and that your residency verification is “approved.” Click here to access the PowerSchool parent portal
Verification of Residency
Parents/guardians must upload a document to their PowerSchool parent portal in order to prove that their address is within school district boundaries. Acceptable documents include a current lease, mortgage or tax bill. If you are unable to upload your required document, please email, mail or deliver the document to your student’s school. If you do not have access to any of these documents, please check with your student’s school to find out about other options. Students who have not proven residency, will not receive their class assignment, school schedule or bus route information.
Students must have their physical exams and immunizations before the first day of school. Students that are not compliant will be excluded from school on October 15, 2025.
- Physical Exams: Students are required to have a physical examination before entering a preschool program, kindergarten, 6th and 9th grades.
Immunizations: Students must provide proof of all state mandated immunizations to the school health office. Grades requiring additional immunizations include Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, 6th and 12th grades.
Dental Exams: Students are required to have a dental exam on file for Kindergarten, 2nd, 6th and 9th grades.
Eye Exams: Students are required to have an eye exam on file for Kindergarten.
School & Sports Physicals: Remember, all age students must have a physical exam on file in order to begin practice for any sport. Important dates are included below for sports meetings, practices, etc.
The first day of school is Thursday, August 14th for grades K-12th and Friday, August 15th for PreK students. The 2025-26 School Calendar is available on the district website or click here for a copy of the calendar that you can print and display at home. Click here for the preschool calendar.
Start/End/Early Dismissal Times
Below are the start/end/early dismissal times for each of the buildings for the 2025-26 school year:
The Plano School District has been approved for the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). With this new option in place, all students enrolled in District 88 are eligible to receive a FREE healthy breakfast and lunch at school at no charge to their household each day of this school year. Morning Preschool students will receive a full breakfast at school and afternoon Preschool students will receive a full lunch at school.
Ala carte items will be available for purchase at the middle and high schools. A student must accept a fully reimbursable meal (contains all components) in order for it to be marked free. All students are eligible to purchase milk to accompany a sack breakfast or lunch from home. A fully reimbursable meal includes a carton of milk. A student would need to order a fully reimbursable meal in order to receive free milk.
Student Fee Waivers
Families who are not directly certified from the State of Illinois (SNAP, Medicaid or Foster-eligible), will be contacted by the school district and provided information to apply for registration fee waivers. Based on the income information provided on the household information form, students’ fees may be waived (free), reduced (50%) or full-pay. Remember, families do not need to complete any paperwork in order to receive free breakfast and lunch at school. ALL students are eligible for FREE meals during the 2025-26 school year.
Bus route information will be shared with parents via their Email account on Friday, August 8th, so make sure your Email address is updated in your PowerSchool parent portal. Also, please check your spam folder if you do not receive an Email. Students must be fully registered by the end of the day on Friday, August 8th, in order to have a bus route assigned by the first week of school. We will post on social media when the routes have been emailed to parents.
School supply lists for next year for each building and grade level can be found on the district website under the Menu/Parents & Students/School Supply Lists or you can click HERE.
Plano Early Learning: September 10, 2025, 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
P.H. Miller: September 11, 2025, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Centennial: August 21, 2025, 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Emily G. Johns: August 28, 2025, 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
Plano Middle School, August 27, 2025, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Plano High School: August 21, 2025, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Are you looking for activities or things to do with your family through school or in the community this year? Look no further than Plano 88's Virtual Backpack. You can find the Virtual Backpack on District 88's webpage in the menu under Students and Parents. Bookmark this site so you can conveniently and regularly check for upcoming events and activities.
Dear Plano 88 Families,
En nombre de todo el Distrito Escolar Comunitario 88 de Plano, me complace dar la bienvenida a nuestros estudiantes y familias al año escolar 2025-2026. Nos comprometemos a apoyar a nuestros estudiantes en cada etapa de su aprendizaje, garantizando que cada uno avance con propósito y confianza.
El Distrito 88 continúa creciendo y evolucionando, con un enfoque especial en la excelencia académica para todos y fortaleciendo nuestra colaboración entre la escuela y el hogar. Invitamos a nuestros estudiantes a explorar sus pasiones a través de la participación en clubes, deportes, arte, música y programas extraescolares que crean vibrantes oportunidades de aprendizaje extendido más allá del aula. Asimismo, nos entusiasma conectar con nuestras familias a través de eventos escolares y distritales. Este verano implementamos nuestro programa "Una Comunidad, Una Familia", que ofrece eventos enfocados en construir conexiones entre el hogar y la escuela, apoyando el crecimiento y desarrollo estudiantil y brindando tiempo para que nuestros padres se conecten entre sí de manera cómoda y atractiva. Organizaremos eventos este otoño, la próxima primavera y el verano de 2026. ¡Las fechas se anunciarán próximamente!
Juntos, hagamos de este año escolar un año de conexión, crecimiento y logros.
Juntos hacia adelante,
Dra. Tracy Thurwanger
Si aún no ha inscrito a su(s) estudiante(s) para el año escolar 2025-26, por favor, hágalo de inmediato. Las listas de clases, los horarios de los estudiantes y las rutas de autobús se están finalizando. Si su estudiante no está inscrito completamente para el viernes 9 de agosto, es posible que no tenga servicio de autobús la primera semana de clases. Puede verificar si la inscripción de su estudiante se ha completado iniciando sesión en el portal para padres de PowerSchool; seleccionando "formularios" en el menú de navegación izquierdo; y asegurándose de que todos los formularios de inscripción requeridos estén "enviados" y que su verificación de domicilio esté "aprobada". Haga clic aquí para acceder al portal para padres de PowerSchool.
Verificación de Domicilio
Los padres/tutores deben subir un documento a su portal para padres de PowerSchool para comprobar que su domicilio se encuentra dentro de los límites del distrito escolar. Los documentos aceptables incluyen un contrato de arrendamiento, una hipoteca o una factura de impuestos vigente. Si no puede subir el documento requerido, envíelo por correo electrónico, correo postal o entregue el documento en la escuela de su estudiante. Si no tiene acceso a ninguno de estos documentos, consulte con la escuela de su estudiante para conocer otras opciones. Los estudiantes que no hayan comprobado su domicilio no recibirán información sobre su asignación de clase, horario escolar ni rutas de autobús.
Los estudiantes deben realizarse sus exámenes físicos y vacunas antes del primer día de clases. Los estudiantes que no cumplan con estos requisitos serán expulsados de la escuela el 15 de octubre de 2025.
- Exámenes Físicos: Los estudiantes deben realizarse un examen físico antes de ingresar a preescolar, kínder, 6º y 9º grado.
- Vacunas: Los estudiantes deben presentar comprobante de todas las vacunas obligatorias por el estado en la enfermería escolar. Los grados que requieren vacunas adicionales incluyen prekínder, kínder, 6º y 12º grado.
- Exámenes Dentales: Los estudiantes de kínder, 2º, 6º y 9º grado deben tener un examen dental registrado.
- Exámenes de la Vista: Los estudiantes de kínder deben tener un examen de la vista registrado.
- Exámenes Físicos Escolares y Deportivos: Recuerde que los estudiantes de todas las edades deben tener un examen físico registrado para comenzar a practicar cualquier deporte. A continuación se incluyen fechas importantes para reuniones deportivas, prácticas, etc.
Horarios de Entrada/Salida/Salida Temprana
A continuación, se detallan los horarios de entrada/salida/salida temprana de cada edificio para el año escolar 2025-26:
Exención de Cuotas para Estudiantes
El distrito escolar se comunicará con las familias que no estén certificadas directamente por el Estado de Illinois (SNAP, Medicaid o familias de acogida) y les proporcionará información para solicitar la exención de la cuota de inscripción. Según la información de ingresos proporcionada en el formulario de información del hogar, las cuotas estudiantiles pueden ser exentas (gratuitas), reducidas (50%) o pagadas en su totalidad. Recuerde que las familias no necesitan completar ningún trámite para recibir desayuno y almuerzo gratuitos en la escuela. TODOS los estudiantes pueden recibir comidas GRATUITAS durante el año escolar 2025-26.
Plano Early Learning: 10 de Septiembre, 2025, 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
P.H. Miller: 11 de Septiembre, 2025, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Centennial: 21 de Agosto, 2025, 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Emily G. Johns: 28 de Agosto, 2025, 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
Plano Middle School, 27 de Agosto, 2025, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Plano High School: 21 de Agosto, 2025, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.