District 109 officials say True North will shift to therapeutic day‑school model; districts may rescind withdrawal in November

District 109 administrators told the school board on Sept. 18 that the True North cooperative is likely to reconstitute as a campus‑based therapeutic day school rather than dissolve, and that the district may rescind its earlier notice of withdrawal at the cooperative's November meeting. The change would shift governance and finance arrangements and could reduce staff at the cooperative.

The proposal presented to the board would move True North from its existing cooperative structure to a smaller, fee‑based model focused on a campus K–22 therapeutic day program for students with complex needs. "It looks like possibly all 18 districts might remain," Superintendent Mike said, describing recent governance proposals; he added the new model includes a zero membership option that would reduce District 109's membership fee by about $400,000 in the district's estimate. Kelly, a district staff member who attended the reorganization meeting, said, "That was absolutely all accurate. Our meeting last night went really well."

Why it matters: the proposed model changes how costs and services would be allocated. Under the plan discussed, districts sending students would pay per‑student fees for services used; District 109 officials said they currently project possibly one District 109 student remaining in the program next year. The cooperative would replace a superintendent‑led governance model with an executive director and move the full governing body to a twice‑annual meeting schedule; operational oversight would rest with an executive director answering to superintendents who would meet at least six times annually.

Details presented to the board include a fee‑based structure and an option that could set the district's membership charge to zero for some services; District 109 staff described that as roughly a $400,000 difference for the district. Administrators also cautioned that the reconstitution could entail a substantial staff reduction at the cooperative: "A really significant number of staff, like, 200 staff would be reduced," the superintendent said. The district identified about $2,500,000 in EBF (Evidence‑Based Funding) dollars currently associated with the cooperative; presenters said those funds are being considered in budget projections for the reconstituted model.

Administrators described the near‑term schedule as follows: an initial presentation to the district boards in September, a proposed set of governance changes to be approved by True North's governing body in October, and then a November chance for districts that had filed to withdraw to rescind those withdrawal petitions. The board did not take a formal vote on the matter at the Sept. 18 meeting; officials said a recommendation could come back in November if the governing body adopts the reconstitution.

Board members asked for numeric clarifications about the value of foregone asset claims if a district exits and about the timeline for when any zero‑membership arrangements would end; administrators said they would seek those details from True North. Kelly told the board the district team and regional superintendents were confident the draft financial rates were conservative and that an executive committee could review any year‑end overcollection for reallocation or reserve funding.

Next steps: district officials said they will seek further financial and asset‑valuation details from True North and report back to the board. The board may be asked in November to rescind its petition to withdraw if the governing body's reconstitution plan is approved. No formal action on rescission occurred at the Sept. 18 meeting.

Sources: Superintendent Mike; Kelly, district staff member.