District 30 Board Brief
October 23, 2025 - Board of Education Meeting Summary
Dear District 30 Community,
This month is always a time when we have so much to celebrate both inside and outside the classroom.
At our October Board of Education meeting, we honored Maple’s newly inducted 2025-26 Student Council for their extracurricular leadership, while also lauding our school Principal teams during National Principals Month for their dedication to our learners.
Student academic achievement and growth were also outlined in a report on data from the Illinois Assessment for Readiness (IAR) and NWEA Measures of Academic Progress (MAP). Overall MAP data is currently available and families received their children’s MAP reports this fall. Next week, IAR student data will be sent to families and overall District 30 IAR data will be released October 30 with the Illinois Report Cards.
The news I am proud to share today is that District 30 students continue to perform at the top of Illinois public schools!
Our students’ growth and achievement are higher than similar districts from across the country, as measured by NWEA MAP. In fact, according to MAP data, District 30 is in the 99th percentile across the nation in math! Additionally, students across grade levels demonstrated strong performance on the IAR in both ELA and math, with steady increases in the percentage of students meeting or exceeding state expectations.
Not all progress is academic, however. Thanks to explicit teaching of social-emotional learning, daily classroom routines, and integration across academic subjects, our schools also demonstrate that we are fostering environments where students feel seen, supported, and connected.
We are incredibly proud of our outstanding staff and extraordinary students, and so grateful for the support of our families and broader community!
As always, District 30 is committed to continuous improvement and will not rest on our laurels. We have built ongoing processes that require us to regularly reflect on our practices and make adjustments that will maximize growth and support for our students and staff.
With this in mind, we are eager to see students continue to grow even further in ELA as we continue embedding our new K-5 curriculum resources into daily instruction.
We also ask for your partnership again this year in prioritizing attendance at school – classroom time is critical for allowing teachers and staff to provide our learners with the high-quality instruction and care they need to succeed!
Please read on to explore additional meeting highlights, including details on Summer School 2026 and the 2026-27 academic calendar.
Thank you,
Dr. Emily K. Tammaru
Superintendent of Schools
Superintendent Dr. Emily Tammaru and Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Melissa Hirsch presented data from the annual NWEA Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment and the Illinois Assessment for Readiness (IAR).
They also discussed new academic benchmarks approved by the State of Illinois in August in order to "right-size" proficiency levels on state assessments. This change happened because previous rates did not match classroom realities.
Illinois’ benchmarks for Math and ELA proficiency were most restrictive in the U.S., resulting in mislabeling high-achieving, college-ready students as “not proficient.”
In science, it was reverse the Illinois benchmark was too low and overstated mastery.
District 30's latest data from the IAR will be released October 30 along with the Illinois Report Card for District 30 and its schools. The IAR informs report card ratings. This information will be posted after October 30 at district30.org/about/report-cards.
Dr. Tammaru and Dr. Hirsch also shared achievement highlights, which include District 30 students continuing to perform at the top of Illinois public schools. Additionally, District 30 growth and achievement is higher than similar districts from across the country as measured by NWEA MAP.
Northfield Township school districts remain committed to aligning their start and end of school dates as much as possible, as well as breaks, to support planned family activities and travels.
Key dates from the calendar draft include:
- First Institute Days on August 17 and 18, 2026
- First day of student attendance set for Wednesday, August 19, 2026
- Winter break December 21, 2026, through January 1, 2027
- Spring Institute Days on March 9 and April 7, 2027
- Spring break March 22 through March 26, 2027
- Last day of school tentatively set for Wednesday, June 2, 2027
A fourth Institute Day is introduced for next year in March 9 to align with District 225. To counteract this additional Institute Day, District 30 will reduce the half days in March and April, so the impact on instructional time is neutral. April’s Institute Day is on election day.
The Board is slated to adopt the calendar at its Nov. 13 meeting.
The Board approved the 2026 student summer school fees of $200 for in-district families and $235 for out-of-district families. District 30's 2026 summer school program will run for four weeks at Maple School, with tentative dates from June 15 through July 10.
Following review by the Board during its committee meeting, the District 30 fiscal year 2025 audit was accepted. Illinois School Code requires each school district to conduct financial audit annually and District 30's was conducted by Miller, Cooper & Co., Ltd.
Betsy Allen, a principal with the audit firm, reported to the Board that they completed the highest level of audit with no findings or adjustments necessary.
School districts across Cook County are experiencing delays in receiving property tax revenues, which can create cash flow challenges during the school year. The Board of Education has authorized a temporary transfer of $1.2 million from District 30's Working Cash Fund to cover debt service obligations until property taxes are collected. District 30's strong fund balances allows the district to manage these delays internally to avoid any short-term borrowing costs.
American Education Week
American Education Week this year is November 17-21, a time designated to honor and celebrate the value of public education. Dr. Tammaru invited Board members to read to classes throughout the district during this time, which is part of the week-long efforts to highlight all aspects of our schools and community.
Administrative positions search process
Dr. Tammaru provided the Board with an update on the recruitment process for two key administrator roles for the 2026-27 school year: Wescott School Principal and Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning. Applications will close November 7. Interview committees made up of teachers, staff and administrators will be finalized second week of November. Interviews will commence later that month and into early December. A finalist for each role is expected to be announced at the December 18 Board of Education meeting.
Conversations with the Community
Board Vice President Mr. Jeff Zuercher and Board Member Mrs. Zivit Blonder shared details on the September 25 Conversations with the Community, which they hosted in morning and evening sessions with Dr. Tammaru.
Mrs. Blonder detailed questions that arose from parents, who were predominantly from Maple for the morning session. Questions included how District 30 measures foreign language placement when Maple students enter high school, as well as a desire for additional programming to help 8th-graders navigate the social transition to high school. Elementary parents also detailed their positive experiences with the Wescott interim co-principals.
Mr. Zuercher noted that a larger percentage of elementary parents attended the evening session and focused questions primarily on about how District 30 can help students navigate appropriate amounts of screen time.
These events are open to all District 30 residents to hear an overview of new developments and then to ask questions and share ideas regarding our schools. The next Conversations with the Community is Tuesday, February 3, at 12 p.m and 6 p.m. To RSVP, visit district30.org/conversations or click below.
Our Board of Education
The Board of Education consists of seven members elected from the general public to serve the entire Northbrook/Glenview School District 30 Community. The Board provides governance for the district by hiring and evaluating the superintendent and approving a budget, policies, and goals that align with the district's strategic plan. Board members are:
- President - Ammar Rizki
- Vice President - Jeff Zuercher
- Zivit Blonder
- Adan Galvan
- Pamela Manicioto
- Patrick Wang
- Dr. Stephanie Yohannan
Northbrook/Glenview District 30
Northbrook/Glenview District 30 exists to create an inclusive community that inspires learning, fosters resiliency, and cares deeply for every child. We honor childhood and foster intellectual, physical and social-emotional growth. District 30 serves more than 1,200 students in pre-K through 8th grade across Willowbrook, Wescott and Maple Schools.
We prohibit harassment and discrimination of all forms within our district and follows all policies and procedures to ensure a safe environment for all.
Email: communications@district30.org
Website: district30.org
Location: 2374 Shermer Road, Northbrook, IL, USA
Phone: 847-498-4190
