School District U‑46 administrators told the board Aug. 18 that the district welcomed back more than 33,000 students for the new school year and that preschool expanded with new classrooms.
At the meeting’s Accent on Achievement segment, Robin Cornelison, executive director of finance, accepted a meritorious budget award for fiscal year 2025 from the Association of School Business Officials International on behalf of the district’s financial operations team. Cornelison described the meritorious budget submission as a document meeting extensive criteria and thanked the finance team and colleagues who prepared the submission.
Back‑to‑school update: Lola Mysdorovich, deputy superintendent of instruction, reported the district welcomed back more than 33,000 students and that today marked the first day of preschool in new classrooms at Fox Meadow Elementary and Coleman Elementary. Mysdorovich and others praised teachers, educational support personnel and operations staff for preparing classrooms and welcoming students.
Operational readiness: Sheila Downs, assistant superintendent of operations, said information services distributed updated technology and began interactive display board refreshes; food services expanded meal offerings and participation increased; transportation operated routes for about 27,000 students and staffed the transportation call center with volunteers; plant operations completed planned summer projects, playground and parking renovations and readiness work so sites could open on schedule.
Ending: Superintendent Dr. Johnson and board members thanked staff and families for an orderly start to the year and noted the enthusiasm students and staff showed during the first days of school.