Spring Break is finally here, and I wanted to take a moment to send my best wishes for a peaceful and refreshing break. Whether you’re traveling, diving into your favorite hobbies, or simply taking some time to relax at home, I hope this time away brings you joy and relaxation.

Waukegan Public Schools will host a free meal distribution event for families during Spring Break on Monday, March 24 at the Waukegan High School-Brookside Campus, 2325 Brookside Avenue. Meals will be available between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. Families can pick up food by driving up to door 25, which is located at the back of the Brookside Campus. Families will be asked to stay in their cars, and students are not required to be present to pick up meals.

Registration is now open for all returning Waukegan Public Schools students in grades Kindergarten through 11. Parents must complete the online registration process through the Parent Portal. To access registration, log in to Parent Portal and click on "More" to find the Online Registration link.

A Special Session Meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, to discuss personnel - 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(1). The meeting will be in Closed Session beginning at 6 p.m. in Room 120 at Lincoln Center, 1201 N. Sheridan Road. A brief open session will follow in the Board Room at 6:30 p.m. The meetings will precede the Board's regular monthly committee meetings. On March 18, 2025, the regularly scheduled Student Achievement and Operation Services Committee meetings will held in the Lincoln Center Board Room.

District 60 will host its first of three (3) New Kindergarten Registration events for families not already registered in Waukegan’s EPIC preschool program this Saturday, March 15. The event will run from 8 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. at Whittier Elementary School, 901 N. Lewis Avenue. Parents planning to attend these registration events are asked to please make an appointment at: https://wpskinder.youcanbook.me/

To ensure maximum student voice, engagement, and participation across all district activities, we are postponing the WPS Youth Summit: You Belong: Building Brilliance and Breaking Barriers to a later date. Due to scheduling conflicts with other events, we want to provide all students with the best opportunity to attend and fully experience this impactful event.

For the eighth consecutive year, Waukegan Community Unit School District #60 has been recognized with the Meritorious Budget Award (MBA) from the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO) for the 2024-2025 budget year.

Families interested in learning more about our District's Two-way Dual Language program will have another opportunity to do so during our next informational meeting on Tuesday, March 18, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Glenwood Elementary, 2500 Northmoor Ave.

Waukegan Public Schools will host a free meal distribution event for families during Spring Break on Monday, March 24 at the Waukegan High School-Brookside Campus, 2325 Brookside Avenue. Meals will be available between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. Families can pick up food by driving up to door 25, which is located at the back of the Brookside Campus. Families will be asked to stay in their cars, and students are not required to be present to pick up meals.

A regular meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at 7 p.m. for Open Session, and 6 p.m. for Closed Session. The meeting will be conducted in person in the Lincoln Center Board Room, 1201 N. Sheridan Road. Closed Session will occur in Room 120.

District 60 families, staff, and students have the opportunity to provide feedback on how to enhance their school by taking part in the 2024-25 statewide 5Essentials survey, which focuses on school climate and learning conditions. The survey can be accessed here.

State assessment season begins this month, and we want to share important information about the upcoming Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) and Illinois Science Assessment (ISA) for students in grades 3-8. These assessments are required annually by the Illinois State Board of Education and help measure student progress in key subject areas.

Waukegan Public Schools has begun registering incoming kindergarten students for the 2025-2026 school year. Parents of children who will turn 5 years old prior to September 1 can begin registering for the fall, depending on their current enrollments. See below for information on various timelines.

Waukegan Public Schools is excited to host the WPS Youth Summit, a day of inspiration, learning, and opportunity for students to take charge of their future. This engaging event is designed to equip students with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to succeed, whether they’re preparing for college, exploring career options, or looking to grow as leaders.

District 60’s Family and Community Engagement (FACE) department will host a Parent University event on Thursday, March 13 focused on fire safety.

Waukegan Public Schools’ Diverse Learner Department will host a series of virtual special education training sessions this spring, as part of its Parent Advocacy Leadership (PAL) program. PAL is a free eight-week training program from the Family Resource Center on Disabilities that is designed to help parents navigate the special education process in Illinois.

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has honored District 60’s Director of Student Access and Achievement, Dr. Tasia Fields, and Miguel Juarez Middle School 7th Grade Social Studies Teacher, Cynthia Stockman, with Those Who Excel awards for the 2024-25 school year. Dr. Fields and Ms. Stockman were two of more than 500 educators across the state honored earlier this month, with both staff members receiving the Award of Meritorious Service in the School Administrator and Classroom Teacher categories, respectively.

I want to take a moment to acknowledge recent developments at the federal level that may be on your minds. The recent executive order issued by the President regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in schools has brought forward discussions about how educational institutions approach student support and program development.

District 60 families, staff, and students have the opportunity to provide feedback on how to enhance their school by taking part in the 2024-25 statewide 5Essentials survey, which focuses on school climate and learning conditions. The survey can be accessed here.

A regular meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Tuesday, February 25, 2025, at 7 p.m. for Open Session, and 6 p.m. for Closed Session. The meeting will be conducted in person in the Lincoln Center Board Room, 1201 N. Sheridan Road. Closed Session will occur in Room 120.

Mr. Brian Johnson, an English Language Arts teacher at the Alternative/Optional Education Center (AOEC), has been named a finalist for the prestigious 2025 Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching. Mr. Johnson is one of just 30 finalists selected from a highly competitive pool of more than 470 nominations across Illinois.

We are excited to share an update about our Wraparound Center. As we continue to expand our services to better support our community, we are pleased to welcome GRO Community as our newest direct service provider.

Our District is exploring new vendors for our website and mass communication tools, and we want to hear from you! Since 2019, we have used SchoolMessenger for these services, and your feedback will help us choose a vendor that best meets our community’s needs.

Families in Waukegan School District 60 have an exciting opportunity for the 2025-2026 school year! Incoming preschool and kindergarten students can enter the lottery for our Two-Way Dual Language program.

On February 18, 2025, the Student Achievement and Operation Services Committee meetings will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the Lincoln Center Board Room, 1201 N. Sheridan Road. No formal Board action will be taken during the meetings.

I want to take a moment to share important insights regarding student academic progress, as part of our ongoing commitment to share details about our students’ academic progress. Earlier this week, we publicly presented Middle of Year (MOY) assessment data, which provides a snapshot of student performance and outlines our ongoing efforts to support achievement.

After-school student activities, including sports, clubs, and extracurricular programs, are canceled today, February 12. Please be advised that afternoon buses may experience delays depending on road conditions. We are working closely with our bus company to ensure any longer delays are communicated in a timely manner.

Waukegan Public Schools will host its second Safe Haven presentation on immigration-related topics at 7 p.m. on Thursday, February 13, at Juarez Middle School. The event will also be streamed live on the District's YouTube channel.

Waukegan Public Schools has begun registering incoming kindergarten students for the 2025-2026 school year. Parents of children who will turn 5 years old prior to September 1 can begin registering for the fall, depending on their current enrollments. See below for information on various timelines.

A regular meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, at 7 p.m. for Open Session, and 6 p.m. for Closed Session. The meeting will be conducted in person in the Lincoln Center Board Room, 1201 N. Sheridan Road. Closed Session will occur in Room 120.

District 60’s Diverse Learner Department is hosting an informational event in partnership with the Family Resource Center on Disabilities on Wednesday, February 19, designed to help DL families learn more about Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBA) and Behavior Intervention Plans (BIP).

Lyon Magnet Elementary School is now accepting applications from parents wishing to enroll their children in the school for the fall of 2025 The online application can be accessed here. The deadline to complete the application is April 26, 2025.

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to meet with several of our parents and hear their very real fears and concerns related to the safety of their families amidst the ongoing ICE enforcement actions. Many expressed deep anxiety about the possibility of family separations, and how these actions might impact their children’s security at school.

The Waukegan High School Theatre Department will debut its production of "The Fabulous Fable Factory" from February 7 to February 9 in the Trapp Auditorium of the Waukegan High School-Brookside Campus.

Throughout February, District 60 will proudly celebrate Black History Month by recognizing the rich history, achievements, and contributions of African Americans in our nation. This month serves as an opportunity for our schools and community to reflect on the innovation, and leadership that have shaped our society.

I’m writing today to share some valuable resources and to reiterate some of our commitments to our families and students during these difficult times. As I shared with staff earlier this week, it is more important than ever for our schools to be a place where students feel safe, supported, and welcomed, regardless of their background or circumstances.

Waukegan Public Schools families are invited to join District 60’s upcoming meeting of the Waukegan Black Parent Network (BPN). This is an opportunity to connect, collaborate, and share insights with other parents dedicated to supporting and empowering our children and community.

Today, it was officially announced that the President is ordering a pause on all federal grants. We understand that this may cause immediate concern about the funding of crucial programs within our District, but we want to assure you that we anticipate being able to withstand this temporary pause without any interruption of services.

Waukegan High School’s JROTC program will host its sixth annual Valentine’s for Veterans event this weekend, to support local veterans.

A regular meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, at 7 p.m. for Open Session, and 6 p.m. for Closed Session. The meeting will be conducted in person in the Lincoln Center Board Room, 1201 N. Sheridan Road. Closed Session will occur in Room 120.

Yesterday evening many of you joined us in person or online for an important conversation about immigration-related topics and the rights of our families. I want to extend my gratitude to our team for planning and hosting this event, and a special thank you to Belany Contreras and the North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic for sharing their time and expertise during this unsettling time for many in our community.

There is an opportunity for families in Waukegan School District 60 next year! Students enrolling in preschool and kindergarten for the 2025/2026 school year will have the option to enter the lottery for our Two-way Dual Language program. Interested families are encouraged to attend our informational meeting held from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. on January 28 at the Welcome Center.

We understand the current climate in Washington D.C. can be unsettling for our families. We want to assure you that our priority in Waukegan Public Schools remains to create a safe and supportive environment for all our students, families, and staff. While we must comply with federal law, we will continue to work to ensure that families can feel safe sending their children to school.

Earlier this week our District publicly presented important information related to both our End of Year (EOY) student data from the 2023-2024 school year, as well as Beginning of the Year (BOY) student data for 2024-2025.

On October 15, 2024, the Student Achievement and Operation Services Committee meetings will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the Lincoln Center Board Room, 1201 N. Sheridan Road. No formal Board action will be taken during the meetings.

District 60’s K-8 theater program, the Waukegan Performing Arts Company (WAUK-PAC) is holding auditions for its next production, Frozen, next week. Auditions will be held at Cooke Magnet School, 522 Belvidere Road, on Thursday, August 22 from 5 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. All K-8 students are welcome to audition.

Waukegan Community Unit School District # 60 schools are again participating in Professional Learning Days this school year. These days will allow for additional professional development opportunities for staff members and will result in altered bell schedules on these days.

Last week our Board of Education voted to approve updates to two important policies that impact students academically. The most significant policy is the re-introduction of our promotion/ retention policy, which affects how students move from grade to grade each year, based on academic performance. Below are more details on this policy, as well as more minor changes to our grading policy. Please take a moment to read up on these changes, and be on the lookout for more information on these policies in the near future.

District 60’s K-8 theater program, the Waukegan Performing Arts Company (WAUK-PAC) is holding auditions for its next production, Seusseical Jr. next month. Auditions will be held at Cooke Magnet School, 522 Belvidere Road, on Thursday, May 16, from 5 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. All K-8 students are welcome to audition.

Parents new to District 60 looking to enroll their children in kindergarten for the 2024/25 school year still have time to reserve a time slot to complete the registration process during one of our upcoming New Kindergarten Registration events.

A Special Closed Session Meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Tuesday, November 21, 2023, for the purpose of discussing negotiations and litigation. The meeting will be in Closed Session beginning at 6 p.m. in Room 120 at Lincoln Center, 1201 N. Sheridan Road. No official Board action will be taken at this meeting. The meeting will precede the Board's regular monthly committee meetings. On November 21, 2023, the regularly-scheduled Student Achievement and Operation Services Committee meetings will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Lincoln Center Board Room.

Waukegan Public Schools is excited to announce we will soon be rolling out a new facility scheduling and work order software. Later this summer FMX will officially replace SchoolDude. Our district-wide launch will take place in August.