District Newsletter

Dear D15 Community,

February–wow! We are officially more than halfway through the school year. Preparation is in full swing preparing for the 2025-2026 school year, but learning, connection and memory making are still front and center in our schools. Registration will open tomorrow, please read more information on how to register below as the process has changed from the past few years.

Our elementary schools are gearing up for Valentine’s Day celebrations and I’d like to take this time to reiterate how much I love our District 15 community. We have such amazing students, deeply dedicated staff, involved families, and engaged communities that support our work to educate every student we are entrusted with. We take that commitment seriously and know when we work together, the possibilities are limitless.

It has been a real pleasure visiting schools as part of my Hang with Heinz initiative, interacting with students via my Middle School Student Advisory groups, talking to student leaders as part of the clubs they participate in at school and most recently, cheering our students on at the D15 Spelling Bee. Students are making great strides academically, emotionally, and socially and it’s a magical thing to be a part of! We have so many talented students that are enthusiastic about making their school fun, inclusive and exciting places to learn. What a pleasure they are to have in District 15. Thank you for all you do to make this the best school district around.

Beginning this fall, we started the process of converting our general education kindergarten classes to iPads from Chromebooks. We are a 1:1 District, meaning there is one device for one student. As part of a committee last spring we reviewed devices, visited other districts, and identified our core beliefs for technology for some of our youngest learners. The result of this work was the implementation of these iPads.

Our teachers and students are using these valuable tools to think, question, and create, and are growing their tech skills every week.

We are thrilled to announce the implementation of a new and improved student information system for District 15 – PowerSchool SIS. This will replace our current student information system, Infinite Campus, which will remain in place through the end of this school year 2024-25. PowerSchool SIS, a leading-edge system, will enhance how we manage student data, streamline communication, access records, and enhance the overall educational experience for all students.

What does this mean for you?

Starting with Online Registration for the 2025-26 school year which begins on February 11, PowerSchool SIS will be your one-stop for managing your student’s educational career in District 15. More features will be revealed later this calendar year when PowerSchool SIS will fully launch in July.

Our current system, Infinite Campus, will remain in place through the end of this school year 2024-25.

On February 11th, parents who already have Campus Parent accounts will be sent an email with their new PowerSchool Parent Portal account access information. Please check your email and login to the PowerSchool Parent Portal to begin the registration process for the 2025-2026 school year. Contact your school secretary with any questions.

McKinney-Vento children are those who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime abode.

This includes, but is not limited to the following groups:

• Doubled-up Children: Living with another family due to lack of a permanent residence

• Children in shelters: Including transitional living programs

• Children living in motels: Due to lack of alternative adequate living situation

• Migratory children: If accommodations are not fit for habitation

• Runaways*: Children who left home and live in a shelter or inadequate accommodations, even if parents are willing to provide a home

• Lockouts*: Children whose parents or guardians will not permit them to live at home

*These two categories are unaccompanied homeless youth.These children are not in the physical custody of their parents or court-ordered guardians and lack a fixed, regular, and adequate adobe.

These children have support and rights available to them. If you think you might qualify for McKinney-Vento services, please contact Dr. Shari Lazor at lazors@ccsd15.net for more information.

Every student—new and returning—must register each year. Please plan to register early and take time to ensure your contact information and your child’s emergency contact information are correct and up to date.

Registration for the 2025-2026 school year will open tomorrow, on Tuesday, February 11. We encourage families to start preparing their documents as soon as possible. Learn more about the registration process on our website.

District 15 will be transitioning from Infinite Campus to PowerSchool in 2025-26. All families will need to create their PowerSchool account in order to register for school for next year. On February 11 families will receive an email to create your new PowerSchool Parent Portal account. Thank you for your timely action as we launch this new system. We are committed to making this transition as seamless as possible.

We ask that families register their child(ren) as early as possible. Doing so helps us solidify staffing for our schools, allows your child(ren) to be placed on a class list, and allows your child(ren) to ride a bus to and from school. Registration MUST be completed and student fees must be paid by July 15, 2025. With close to 12,000 students to place in a classroom and on bus routes, we ask that you please do your part and register on or before July 15.

All meetings of the Board of Education are held at Walter R. Sundling Middle School, located at 1100 N. Smith Street, Palatine, unless otherwise posted. Regular meetings of the Board of Education begin at 7:00 pm. Dates for meetings are as follows:

To view all upcoming events and the full 2024-25 School Calendar, please visit the calendar on the D15 website.