An Update from Supt. Smith

Notable Dates and Events

• Calendar Reminders

News and Announcements

• Illinois Report Card
• D300 Bond Referendum: Election Day Reminder and New Informational Videos
• Parent-Teacher Conference Information

District Highlights

• Schools Awarded with Summer READ300 Champion Banners
• District 300 Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

Student Recognitions

• Jacobs High School Senior Earns 3rd Place in National Essay Contest
• Hampshire High School Honors State Champion Girls Wrestling Team, Bestows Rings
• High School Students Receive Photography Accolades

School Highlights

• Dundee-Crown High School Celebrates 2026 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees

School Snapshots

• Cambridge Lakes Charter School
• Carpentersville Middle School
• Dundee Highlands Elementary School
• Dundee Middle School
• Gilberts Elementary School
• Golfview Elementary School
• Hampshire Elementary School
• Lakewood Elementary School
• Oak Ridge School
• Parkview Elementary School
• Westfield Community School

Board of Education

• Next Board of Education Meeting Scheduled for November 17

Conclusion

District 300 would like to remind families of the following notable dates and events:

Friday, October 30, through Saturday, November 14:

• Fine arts events – Information about fall plays is available, as are details about band, choir, and orchestra events. To learn more, please visit the District 300 calendar webpage, scroll down, and select “Fine Arts Calendar.”

Tuesday, November 3:

• Election Day – Day that District 300 voters will decide the bond referendum; for additional details, view the “News and Announcements" section directly below or visit www.d300.org/Bond.

As a reminder, on Tuesday, November 3, District 300 voters will decide whether the district may issue bonds to help fund proposed improvements to schools and facilities across the district.

If approved, the referendum would help fund more than 20 projects across District 300's Dundee-Crown, Hampshire, and Jacobs high school feeder patterns, as well as a new district-wide Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center.

The proposed projects are intended to address three primary challenges: increasing student enrollment, aging buildings and infrastructure, and supporting students and staff as education changes.

• The bond referendum ballot question: A review of the exact wording voters will see on their ballots
  
  
• The Dundee-Crown feeder pattern: A review of the proposed projects at schools within the Dundee-Crown High School feeder pattern
  
  
• The Hampshire feeder pattern: A review of the proposed projects at schools within the Hampshire High School feeder pattern
  
  
• The Jacobs feeder pattern: A review of the proposed projects at schools within the Jacobs High School feeder pattern
  
  
• Aging buildings and infrastructure: An explanation of the challenges associated with aging school buildings and infrastructure, and how proposed referendum projects could help address related facility needs
  
  
• Aging buildings and infrastructure – focus on Westfield Community School: A look at how aging buildings and infrastructure affect students and staff at Westfield Community School and how proposed referendum funding could help alleviate related issues
  
  
• Increasing student enrollment: An overview of the challenges associated with growing student enrollment and how proposed referendum projects could help address related facility needs
  
  
• Increasing student enrollment – focus on Hampshire Middle School: A look at the growing student enrollment at Hampshire Middle School and how proposed referendum funding could help alleviate related issues

These videos join the district's growing collection of fact-based referendum resources, which can be viewed at www.d300.org/Bond.

The referendum webpage also includes:

• Proposed Projects Guides detailing improvements at individual district schools
  
  

• Answers to frequently asked questions about the referendum and proposed projects
  
  

• A tax calculator to estimate the potential financial impact for an individual property
  
  

• Information about the proposed district-wide CTE Center
  

Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. Early voting continues through Monday, November 2.

Voters can visit their county clerk's website for voting locations and hours.

For additional information about the bond referendum, visit www.d300.org/Bond. Questions can also be emailed to Bond@d300.org.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about the referendum and the question District 300 voters will consider on November 3.

District 300 schools look forward to Parent-Teacher Conferences, which will be held according to the schedule below:

• Monday, November 23, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
  
  
• Tuesday, November 24, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Each school will send an email communication to families in the near future providing specific information on when and how to sign up for conferences. This message will include a school-specific link to PTC Wizard online, the system used to schedule conferences.

Please be on the lookout for this communication and contact your school office directly should you have any questions or need support.

Congratulations to Eastview Elementary School, Algonquin Middle School, and Jacobs High School for earning the 2026 Summer READ300 champion banners!

District-wide participation increased this year, with 950 students completing Summer READ300 by successfully finishing a summer reading program through a partner library.

Champion banners were awarded to the District 300 elementary, middle, and high school with the highest percentage of students completing Summer READ300.

District 300 would like to thank all of the families and community members who attended the recent Hispanic Heritage Month celebration at Carpentersville Middle School.

The event included student performances, arts and craft exhibits, and more.

Jacobs High School senior Alondra Villalobos Sanchez recently placed third in the Raíces National Essay Contest.

This year’s contest challenged secondary school students in the United States to write about the

Hispanic people, traditions, and experiences that are part of the broader American story.

More than 400 contest submissions were received, with the top 15 essay writers having the opportunity to be recognized at a ceremony earlier this month at the Spanish Cultural Center in Washington, D.C.

District 300 congratulates Alondra for earning prestigious recognition in the national essay contest!

Hampshire High School celebrated its 2025-26 state champion girls wrestling team during halftime of a home football game earlier this month.

The event recognized the athletes, their families, and their coaches. In addition, championship rings were presented to team members in honor of their achievement.

Congratulations again to wrestlers Samantha Diehl, Annabelle Mueller, Amelia Nidelea-Polanin, and Stella Piazza!

Congratulations to the District 300 students listed below for earning recognition in the Kane County Regional Office of Education Student Photography Contest!

• Jacobs High School senior Abigail Retzer, whose photo was selected as a Top 10 submission in Week 3 of the contest, which featured the theme “Texture.”

• Hampshire High School junior Lane Tzanetopoulos, whose photo was selected as a Top 10 submission in Week 3 of the contest

• Jacobs High School senior Briana Wiggins, whose photo was selected as a Top 10 submission in Week 4 of the contest, which featured the theme “Architecture.”

• Dundee-Crown High School junior Brandon Cruz, whose photo was selected as a Top 10 submission in Week 5 of the contest, which featured the theme "Close Up”

To learn more about the contest, please visit https://kaneroe.org/student-photography-contest.

Congratulations to the Dundee-Crown High School Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2026! The seven inductees this year are:

• Franklin Alrich (Class of 2004) – competed in football, wrestling, and track and field; was a state qualifier in both wrestling and track and field.
• Murray Domich (Dundee Community High School* Class of 1972) – competed in football, wrestling, and track and field, earning varsity letters in all three sports, while also being named Student Athlete of the Year in 1972.
• Malik Dunner (Class of 2015) – competed in football, basketball, and track and field; in football, he earned Fox Valley Conference recognition during both his junior and senior seasons.
• Scott Horcher (Class of 2006) – competed in football, wrestling, and baseball; served as wrestling team captain and qualified for state in wrestling; also advanced to state as a member of the baseball team.
• Satchel Hudson (Class of 2016) – competed in gymnastics; went to state in 2013, 2015, and 2016, taking the 2016 state championships in still rings and vault, in addition to other state medals.
• Cory Lusk (Class of 1994) – competed in baseball; a four-year varsity letter recipient, Cory set school records before graduation for career innings pitched, strikeouts in a season, and career strikeouts.
• 1983-84 Dundee-Crown girls basketball team – team won the Fox Valley Conference title, going on to win at the Regional, Sectional, and Super-Sectional levels, advancing to state.

The Class of 2026 induction ceremony took place on October 10. View the Summer 2026 Hall of Fame newsletter for more information.

*Dundee Community High School merged in 1983 with Irving Crown High School to form Dundee-Crown High School.

The next Board of Education meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, November 17, at District 300 Central Office, 2550 Harnish Drive, in Algonquin.

Meetings are called to order at 6 p.m., with board members immediately entering closed session; meetings then reconvene in open session at 6:30 p.m.

In-person seating for meetings is on a first-come, first-served basis. For your awareness, meetings are also streamed live on the District 300 YouTube channel beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Guidelines for public participation at board meetings are available on the district website.

District residents and members of the public can contact the board any time by emailing Board@d300.org. Any email sent to this address will reach all board members simultaneously.

To view more information about the Board of Education, including future meeting dates, agendas, past board videos, and more, please visit www.d300.org/BoardofEducation.

The first few months of the school year have been filled with opportunities for students to learn, grow, and challenge themselves. As we turn the calendar to November, I’m encouraged by the progress taking place across District 300 and excited about all that remains to be accomplished.

As a reminder, you can find our communication guidelines for parents and guardians on the district website.

Look for my next Superintendent Update on Friday, November 13.

Have a fantastic weekend!