Fremont Focus

Dear Fremont Community,

Our students continue to show tremendous growth and achievement trends across the District. The Department of Learning regularly reviews student performance data to monitor our progress. Recent highlights include the following:

2025 Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Assessment

Spring Math - 7 out of the 8 grades met/exceeded growth projections from spring to spring.
Spring Reading - 6 out of the 8 grades met/exceeded growth projections from spring to spring.
This fall, our 8th graders performed at the 96th percentile nationally for Math and the 89th percentile for Reading.

Spring 2025 Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR)

English Language Arts (ELA) - we maintained our achievement levels from last year with 71% of our students meeting or exceeding standards (the state average is 53%).
Math - our percentage of students meeting or exceeding standards continued to rise to a total of 54% (the state average is 38%).

Algebra I and Geometry Completion Rates

The percentage of 8th graders in our district who have completed Algebra I or Geometry has increased from 40% in 2022 to 61% in 2025. We anticipate that percentage climbing to 64% this school year.

In the year ahead, we look to maintain and further expand on our strategic plan efforts, including:

Strengthen Professional Learning Systems: Expand job-embedded professional learning through Professional Learning Communities and instructional coaching to enhance instruction, collaboration, and student outcomes.
Advance Inclusive Practices: Implement comprehensive, equitable supports across general education, special education, multilingual, enrichment, and intervention programs to ensure growth for every learner.
Refine Core Curriculum: Complete the literacy curriculum review, fully implement universal screeners and new English Language Arts resources, and continue integrating the revised math curriculum.
Bolster STEM and Career Readiness: Expand STEM and Career Technical Education (CTE) pathways, pilot new middle school electives, and integrate career exploration tools across grades.

We thank our students, educators, and families for their collaboration and commitment to our ongoing growth and achievement.

Sincerely,

Dr. Brian Bullis

Assistant Superintendent of Learning

📅 Important Dates

Please read the following newsletter for detailed information, but here is a summary of key dates for quick access:

Wed., October 8 - Early Release Schedule (MS dismissed at 2:13 p.m.; ES/IS dismissed at 3:08 p.m.)
Thu., October 9 - Multilingual Family Night, 5:30 p.m. (Fremont Public Library)
Fri., October 10 - Parent Involvement Day (Students Not In Attendance; Lincoln only)
Mon., October 13 - No School (Students Not In Attendance)
Wed., October 15 - Early Release Schedule (MS dismissed at 2:13 p.m.; ES/IS dismissed at 3:08 p.m.)
Wed., October 15 - PTO meeting, 6:00 p.m. (Middle School Media Center)
Sat., October 18 - PTO Trunk or Treat, 10:00 a.m.
Mon., October 20 - Board of Education meeting (live stream), 7:00 p.m. (Intermediate School Cafeteria)
Wed., October 22 - Parent University: Parents' Guide to Understanding and Responding to Emotional Escalations, 6:30 p.m. (Middle School Media Center)

2025-26 FSD79 School Calendars

https://www.fsd79.org/families/student-absences/report-an-absence

If your child will be absent from school because of illness, doctor's appointments, or for any other reason, please report it to the school office by 9:00 a.m. on the day of the absence by completing the form linked within the above graphic or by calling the attendance line for the appropriate school.

At its September meeting, the Board of Education approved the 2025-2026 school year budget. This budget keeps our day-to-day finances balanced, ensuring that day-to-day revenues and expenditures stay in alignment. It reflects our ongoing commitment to being good stewards of District resources, caring for our facilities, and supporting student learning in meaningful ways.

Budget Highlights:

A balanced operating budget that maintains strong programs and services for all students.
Expanded on-campus special education services and reduced out-of-district placements within budget.
Continued investment in our schools, including facility improvements planned for summer 2026.
Strategic use of existing funds to support capital projects, while protecting the District’s long-term financial health.

Please make plans to join us for our next in-person Parent University presentation coming up on Wednesday, October 22. It is not required to RSVP for in-person events, however, we ask that you please do so if you plan to take advantage of childcare, which will be provided by Fremont Middle School students for individuals ages 3+. To RSVP, please click here.

RSVP Form

Our award-winning podcast, "Fremont Leads," is back for another year! Listen and subscribe as we highlight our amazing students!

In our brand-new episode, we catch up with Fremont Middle School seventh-grader Amelia to discuss her involvement in the Mundelein After-School Coalition, Hope Squad, and much more. Subscribe via any of the platforms below so you don't miss an episode!

Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music | YouTube Music | iHeartRadio

The next meeting of the Fremont School District 79 Board of Education will be held on Monday, October 20, at 7:00 p.m. at the Fremont Intermediate School cafeteria. Please note the new location for regular monthly Board meetings for the 2025-2026 school year. This month's meeting will include the following presentation:

Student Attendance and Academic Success

A live video stream of the meeting will be available via the District’s YouTube page. The stream will go live shortly before the start of the meeting. Recaps of previous Board meetings can be found here. The Board meeting agenda and materials can be accessed here. Board materials are available by noon on October 20.

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A friendly reminder that every student in FSD79 has access to the Varsity Tutors for Schools platform. This access includes:

24/7 On-Demand Chat Tutoring
On-Demand Essay Review
100+ Weekly Live Classes
Recorded Enrichment Classes
Self-Study & Practice Resources

Here is a pamphlet and a video that provides an overview of the platform features. Students can go to their Clever Dashboard and select the Varsity Tutors icon to login to the platform. Any chat sessions students participate in are recorded and posted on their dashboard for future reference.

Countryside Fire Protection District is participating in the National Fire Protection Association's® Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Charge into Fire Safety™: Lithium-Ion Batteries in Your Home.” Most of the electronics we use in our homes every day are powered by these batteries, so please ensure you BUY only listed products, CHARGE devices safely, and RECYCLE batteries responsibly.

Countryside Fire will be doing a safety lesson with each class this year to remind students about general fire and life safety, but we also remind families how important safety is at home. For more resources, visit https://sparkyschoolhouse.org/for-families/.

Any questions? Visit Countryside Fire Protection District at https://www.countrysidefire.com/ or call 847-367-5511.

Click the graphic above for the latest information from Fremont PTO.

FSD79 offers local groups and organizations the opportunity to advertise their upcoming events in the Virtual Backpack. To submit your group's event for consideration, please submit a PDF flyer to publicrelations@fsd79.org. Check back regularly for upcoming offerings.

The next edition of the Fremont Focus will be distributed on Wednesday, October 22. This will be in addition to the weekly e-newsletters sent on Fridays from principals at the school level.