Gurnee School District 56

The meeting began with recognitions, including honoring a teacher who won the Far North Suburb Teacher of the Year award and is running for the Illinois State Teacher of the Year. The board also welcomed the new director of curriculum and instruction, who will take over the role in July. Key discussions involved the financial report for January and February, including approval requests for revised bills due to late payroll liabilities, and the activity fund report. During public participation, the union president expressed concerns regarding a lack of transparency, the pace of changes, and requested greater collaboration and input from staff during decision-making processes. Superintendent highlights included updates on student engagement activities such as structural engineering projects, experiential learning related to reading programs, text engineering professional development for multilingual teachers, and staff training on student behavior protocol. School highlights covered the annual Sweetheart dance fundraiser for the Great Americans program at River Trail, Fat Tuesday bead tournament won by the recognized teacher, staff training on calm corners/de-escalation tools, and middle school student presentations on African-Americans for Black History Month at Spalding and Prairie.

The meeting commenced with the pledge of allegiance, followed by the approval of the October 22, 2025 regular meeting minutes. Financial reports for October were reviewed, detailing cash balances, revenues (including property tax and various funding sources), and expenditures (including salaries, benefits, and kitchen work payments). The board was asked to approve the October revised bills for payroll liabilities and November bills for the activity fund. Discussions included updates on second tax collection being approximately 90% complete. District highlights covered activities at Viking (including sixth-grade field trips, science classes on distracted driving, vocabulary activities, a service trip packaging food, student music achievements, and Veterans Day events) and River Trail (including student recognition assemblies, classroom competitions focused on reading themes, recognition of high-achieving eighth graders, music achievements, career exploration field trips, and character education lessons for younger students). Further updates included reports on successful Veterans Day celebrations at Spalding and raising funds for Honor Flight. Student Services reported completing Cardiac Emergency Response Team training across all four buildings and preparing for a Special Education cyclical monitoring audit. The Multilingual Department discussed progress reports, ACCESS testing preparation, bilingual parent advisory committee meetings, and co-teaching support. The Technology department reported on a phishing campaign with a 3.48% fish-prone rate and preparations for e-learning days. Finally, an update was provided on next steps following a team's attendance at a 'Battle for Kids' conference related to the portrait of a graduate work.

The meeting commenced with the pledge of allegiance. Key discussions included the approval of minutes from the November 19th, 2025 regular meeting. Financial reports for November were reviewed, detailing cash/investment balances, revenue sources (including property taxes and various federal funds), and expenditures. The board was asked to approve revised November bills and regular December bills. Public participation involved a detailed comment concerning the controversial origins of the phrase/number "67" in relation to school activities, with the speaker expressing concerns about student safety and potential retaliation. District highlights included the recognition of the Preschool for All program for achieving the Gold Circle of Quality standard. Other updates covered band performances, hands-on learning connections in third and fifth grades related to arrays and science experiments, and celebrations related to current events like the full moon and northern lights. Leadership activities included eighth-grade team leads hosting mixed-up lunches and Spanish classes corresponding with third-grade bilingual students. There were also discussions regarding insights from attending professional development sessions on English language learners, funding uncertainty (especially concerning federal funding like Title I), and the upcoming strategic planning process as the current 5-year plan nears expiration. Old business involved the second reading and adoption of attached policies (Press Plus Issue 120) and board policy monitoring revisions, both adopted as presented. The board also reviewed the 2026-2027 calendar for the first time, noting the start date of August 19th.

The board meeting included recognition of student athletes, a public hearing regarding the e-learning plan, and district highlights. The e-learning plan, which is reviewed every three years, remains unchanged with existing platforms, devices, and supports in place for emergency days. District highlights included updates from various schools, showcasing club activities like the Mad Scientist Club, field trips, and reading power programs. The meeting also highlighted the implementation of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and its positive impact on student performance, as well as various initiatives celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month.

The Board of Education held a public hearing for a holiday waiver related to Veteran's Day activities and discussed the 2025-2026 budget, including staff salaries and benefits, curriculum purchases, and construction projects. They also reviewed financial reports, including revenue, expenditures, and activity fund balances. The meeting included district highlights from various schools, such as art projects, musical auditions, cross country events, and collaborative learning activities.