Board Update April 22, 20925

The Board of Education: seated, from left, Adam Weinstock, Vice President; Mara Silver-Schack, President; Beth Bazer, Secretary. Standing, from left, Diana Horwitz, Christine Beeftink, DeShawn Arms and Eve Pfanzelter.

Following the April 1 approval of a $64.9 million building bond referendum, the district is working closely with the architects to get projects underway, Superintendent Dr. Jason Pearson said.

The district will hold a meeting with the immediate neighbors of Meadowbrook School at 5 p.m. on May 20 to discuss the first phase of construction, a new gymnasium that is scheduled to break ground this summer.

“We are very interested in being good neighbors through this process. We want to make sure that we have good communication and relationships with our neighbors,” Dr. Pearson said.

The remaining referendum building projects are entering the design phase. The general timeline is to work on design through the next school year, with construction of the additions planned for each school expected to get underway in spring 2026. The district will create school-specific communications and a website for the community to monitor the projects.

Communications Director Terry Ryan noted that the referendum passed in every precinct, with a final approval rate of 63.1%. A total of 4,152 votes were cast, representing a turnout of about 29%, compared to the overall turnout in suburban Cook County of 17.61%. She noted that the combined efforts of the district’s information campaign and the community Vote Yes committee contributed to the referendum’s success.

Meghan Dames is joining the administrative team as an Assistant Director of Student Services. Ms. Dames has been a social worker at Greenbriar for 13 years and has served as a Summer School Administrator since 2018. Ms. Dames will be assigned to Meadowbrook Elementary for the 2025-26 school year, joining Dr. Ginny Hiltz. Assistant Director of Student Services Betsy Buckley, who is currently at Meadowbrook, is moving to Northbrook Junior High as an additional Assistant Director of Student Services.

Beth Jones is returning as the Assistant Director of Student Services at Greenbriar and Dr. Jenna Eberhardt will continue as Assistant Director of Student Services and Program Director of the Young Explorers Early Childhood program at Westmoor.

Northbrook Junior High has approximately 17,200 square feet of roofing material that is in need

of replacement. The roof is currently 34 years old and has reached the end of its useful life.

Several repairs have been needed over the last few years. The new roof will come with a 20-

year manufacturer's warranty. The total project cost includes all permitting fees and drawings

required for this project and was one of the projects identified in the Facilities Master Plan.

Total Project Cost is $740,000.

District 28 offers a professional development program during the summer, often taught by colleagues eager to share and collaborate. This year, 36 sessions are offered in topics that range from differentiation to technology to supporting students’ social-emotional and academic needs.

The professional learning program allows teachers to pursue their own goals and collaborate with colleagues across the district. The session topics are framed by a staff survey for relevance and interest.

“We're very fortunate to have many talented District 28 staff members leading these sessions, sharing their expertise with their peers,” Director of Learning Michelle Jackson said.

Residents and alumni are invited to participate in Greenbriar School’s 75th Anniversary Celebration from 10 a.m to 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 17.

Visit the school to take a walk down memory lane with historical photos, a time capsule display, a selfie station, and a self-guided tour. Current students will perform a new song composed especially for the occasion. There is also a 75th anniversary cookbook with recipes from across the decades from the Greenbriar community. Hard copies and e-books will be for sale with proceeds benefiting Education For All Children, a nonprofit organization that helps fund education in Kenya, including District 28’s sister school, Spurgeon’s Academy.

Greenbriar alumni are encouraged to help build our historical displays by submitting photos of their years at Greenbriar by posting to the Greenbriar 75th Anniversary Facebook page or emailing to Greenbriar’s Share A Memory.

Save the date for May 17th and stop by to celebrate Greenbriar and our community!

Livestream/Archive Video

The Board of Education meetings are live-streamed on the District 28's YouTube Channel. The live streams are also archived for later viewing.

Next Meeting is on May 27

The Board of Education's next regular meeting at 7 p.m. May 27th in the HOH Community Room at the District Office, 1475 Maple Ave., Northbrook. The meeting will be live-streamed on the District 28 YouTube channel.