Board Briefs

The Community Consolidated School District 21 Board of Education meeting was held on Thursday, September 17, 2026. The full meeting agenda can be found on Diligent, while a livestream of the meeting can be viewed on our YouTube channel.

Wintrust (Northbrook Bank & Trust) donated $10,000 to the District 21 Health Center to support student health and wellness. The generous contribution will help the Health Center continue providing accessible health services and resources to students and families throughout the district.

Sherri Massa, director of student services, and Olivia Aguado, community engagement liaison, shared an update on the District 21 Health Center and its continued impact on student health and wellness. They also highlighted partnerships supporting dental care, vision and hearing screenings, asthma services and mental health referrals, along with new technology that allows nurses to monitor blood sugar levels for students with diabetes in real time.

• 5.11: Board Policies - First Read - APPROVED

The board unanimously passed the district's fiscal 2027 budget, projecting $160.26 million in revenue and $145.41 million in expenditures as the district continues to invest in students while maintaining a focus on long-term financial stability.

• Social-Emotional Growth: Board President Jessica Riddick recapped the first meeting of the district's behavior committee for the 2026-27 school year, during which they reviewed the committee's activities from the 2025-26 school year, previewed the goals for this school year and received status updates from each of the buildings as to the rollout of their behavior expectations.

• Meeting the Needs of Unique Learners: Board member Iliana Guzman discussed ongoing efforts, including benchmark assessments and oral reading fluency assessments in the K-5 Dual Russian Program that were administered in the spring, with additional assessments now underway to collect data and establish district norms. K-8 resource teams are also finalizing instructional support plans tailored to students’ English language proficiency levels, according to Guzman.

Board Vice President Debbi McAtee recapped the organization's recent meeting, which included a discussion on a large facility study.

Board member Bill Harrison previewed the organization's kickoff luncheon, which will be held on Friday, October 16. Further, ED-RED's first member meeting of the 2026-27 school year will be held on November 6, with a topic and speaker still to be announced.

Harrison said a report from the organization’s Resolution Committee is now available online, with five resolutions included, three of which are available for adoption. He also previewed IASB’s North Cook dinner on Oct. 7 and noted that the organization recently adopted its new Strategic Plan.

Board member Arlen S. Gould said the organization has moved into its new facility in Mount Prospect. He also noted that its next board meeting would be held Sept. 23, giving him an opportunity to see the new facility in greater detail.

The student representatives to the Board of Education shared updates from their respective schools and reflected on their experiences during the first full month of school.

The next regular meeting of the Board of Education will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 15, 2026, at the Community Service Center and Administrative Office, 959 W. Dundee Rd., Wheeling.