Superintendent News

August 12, 2025

Dear Students, Families, Staff, and Community Members,

Welcome to the 2025-26 school year! Whether you are new to the district or are a returning family, all of us across District 95 are incredibly excited to open our doors and welcome students and families for what promises to be a year filled with purpose and possibility.

Please know that our staff and administration have been incredibly busy planning and preparing for your return. As always, we are driven by the mission, vision, values, strategies, and action plans defined in our strategic plan, Empower95, which was created by a large group of stakeholders including parents, students, staff, administrators, and community members/partners. Our plan defines the strategic work of the district that goes hand-in-hand with the normal daily work of school and district operations. Like every other well-functioning system it takes a village to make everything work well, and that includes the partnership between schools and families, which we value and respect.

For those families who are new to the district (or others who just may be curious!) I encourage you to visit the district’s new Welcome Center on our website. This is meant to be a starting point as you get acquainted with the district and may help to answer some questions about a variety of topics.

Additionally, please see important information below about a variety of other topics including the district’s seven Core Values – which serve as our guiding principles, and the Curricula for core subjects which is now available on our website.

I hope you enjoy your return to school – we cannot wait to see you on Wednesday, August 13th, for the first day of student attendance!

Sincerely,

Dr. Kelley Gallt

Superintendent

Our wonderful District 95 staff members returned on Friday, August 8th and have been hard at work preparing for the start of the school year with students this Wednesday. Our kickoff program brought together the entire staff where we embraced our hashtag for the year, #ThriveIn95, focused on how we will operationalize the characteristics of the Portrait of a Graduate, and we even heard from our own students - at all grade levels from incoming Kindergarten to incoming senior - about how they currently "live" these characteristics. As always, our students brought us feelings of joy, laughter, compassion, and pride as we listened to their inspirational words.

A special thank you to the District 95 Educational Foundation for providing breakfast for the entire staff on opening day! It was a wonderful and welcome treat to start the day and the year!

As we prepare for the start of school, please be aware that there is ongoing construction in downtown Lake Zurich as part of the Village of Lake Zurich’s Main Street upgrade project. Please allow extra time for travel to and from school!

Currently, there is ongoing roadwork on East Main Street (between Old Rand Road and Church Street) and on West Main Street (between Route 22 and Old Rand Road) where the road remains closed to all but local traffic.

The Village has advised us that East Main Street will remain open with one lane and flaggers directing traffic into the new school year. Closures will continue throughout the remainder of the project (late November) at times.

District 95 successfully hosted Summer Semester 2025 across four locations: Young Adult Center, Lake Zurich High School, Isaac Fox Elementary School, and Middle School South. Over 1,000 students participated across both sessions, reflecting strong engagement in learning opportunities throughout the summer.

At Lake Zurich High School, students took part in credit-earning and credit recovery coursework, with classes such as Consumer Education and English I offered to support academic progress toward graduation requirements.

At the elementary and middle school sites—Isaac Fox and Middle School South—students engaged in a variety of enrichment and academic offerings, including examples such as STEAM, Bridges, and Team Building. These programs provided opportunities for collaboration, critical thinking, and continued academic growth in a dynamic, hands-on environment.

The Young Adult Center served students with targeted support and programming, focused on individualized goals and post-secondary preparation.

District 95 extends appreciation to all staff members who contributed to creating engaging, supportive learning environments across all sites. Summer Semester continues to serve as an important extension of the district’s commitment to academic excellence and student development.

At District 95, we remain steadfast in our commitment to providing a safe, welcoming, and dynamic learning environment for every student, honoring and respecting diverse backgrounds, identities, cultures, and experiences. This commitment is rooted in the seven core values – a key component of our strategic plan, Empower95 - that define and guide our district culture. These values, developed collaboratively with our Board of Education and diverse stakeholder committees, establish clear expectations, and shape the foundation of our schools. They also serve as guiding principles, ensuring that we uphold an inclusive, respectful, and high-achieving educational community.

Our Seven Core Values:

1. Accountability – We hold ourselves and each other responsible for our actions and outcomes, measuring effectiveness, setting clear expectations, and following through on commitments.
2. Academic Excellence – We challenge and support all learners to reach their highest potential.
3. Collaboration – We work interdependently, listening to and learning from one another to achieve the best outcomes for students.
4. Equity – We provide all learners with the resources, opportunities, and support needed to achieve personal excellence.
5. Integrity – We uphold the highest ethical and moral standards in our actions and decision-making.
6. Perseverance – We remain committed to overcoming challenges and striving for continuous improvement.
7. Respect – We recognize and honor the inherent value of every individual in our school community.

Each of these values is accompanied by clear expectations and corresponding behaviors that exemplify them in action. Staff members were the first to engage with this framework, utilizing a new tool to recognize and reinforce these values among colleagues. Now, we are excited to extend this understanding across our entire learning community, ensuring that these values are reflected in every interaction and decision.

For more details on the specific behaviors associated with each core value, we invite you to visit our district’s website by clicking here. At the heart of our district’s mission is a deep respect for our students, staff, and families. We are committed to treating every individual with dignity and care while upholding the laws and policies that guide our work. By balancing compliance with our unwavering commitment to fostering a safe, inclusive, and supportive learning environment, we ensure that all students have the opportunity to thrive and succeed.

Lake Zurich District 95 is proud to share that the full curricula for Mathematics, English Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science are now available to the public through a dedicated online link. Over the past several years, our teachers and administrators have worked diligently to develop comprehensive, high-quality curricula that align with state standards and meet the unique needs of our students. This effort reflects countless hours of collaboration, research, and planning to ensure that every student receives a rigorous and engaging learning experience.

By making these curricula accessible, we aim to provide families and community members with greater transparency into what our students are learning at each grade level. We believe that sharing this information will strengthen the partnership between home and school, helping parents better understand and support their children’s educational journey.

We are incredibly proud of the dedication and expertise our staff has demonstrated in creating these resources. Their work represents a strong commitment to student success and continuous improvement across all content areas.

To explore the curricula, please visit the District 95 website, where you will find the Core Curricula on the Curriculum & Instruction department page (or click here). We hope these materials serve as a valuable resource for our families and reflect the excellence and care that define our district.

In addition to an ongoing need for bus drivers (see below for more information), District 95 also has many other current employment needs including playground/lunchroom supervisors, classroom aides, and more. For a current list of openings, please visit our online job listings by clicking here.

Bus Drivers

Looking for an opportunity to give back to the community? Retired and looking for a way to stay active and connected? A parent wanting to have the same schedule as your children? Want to bring your preschool aged child to work with you? Join our amazing team of bus drivers. NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY.

Benefits Include: · Paid Behind the Wheel Training · Partial Paid Health Insurance · Retirement Benefits · Sick Leave · Personal Days· Competitive Pay including pay for prior experience

Qualifications: · Good Driving Record · Minimum of 21 years old (Drivers) · Pass required Federal Background check · Pass a pre-employment/ annual physical & drug test · Enjoy working with kids!!

If you have any questions, contact the District 95 Transportation Department at 847-438-2834.

Click here to apply online by visiting our website or go to www.lz95.org/jobs ~ Click on Job Openings ~ Select Transportation ~ Select Apply button

Email: feedback@lz95.org
Website: www.lz95.org
Location: 832 S Rand Rd, Lake Zurich, IL, USA
Phone: 847-438-2831
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LZdistrict95

Instagram: @LZdistrict95
X(Twitter): @LZdistrict95