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Glen Ellyn SD 41 updates strategic plan, adds focus on special education and preschool facilities
Summary
After months of drafting and stakeholder feedback, the Glen Ellyn SD 41 Board reviewed revisions to its strategic plan that emphasize special education and language supports, add preschool facility evaluation, streamline committee structure and commit to a community satisfaction baseline survey; the Board later voted to adopt the changes.
The Glen Ellyn SD 41 Board of Education reviewed and discussed a refreshed strategic plan March 17 that highlights special education and language services, adds a commitment to evaluate preschool facility needs, and reorganizes committee structure to improve implementation and stakeholder feedback.
The presentation, led by a district staff member identified as Jeff, described specific edits made after prior board input and stakeholder feedback. “We broke the action step into two parts, implementing instructional best practices for all students, but also reviewing special education and language learner services to ensure high rigor and expectations,” Jeff said, summarizing how the plan now pulls special education work into explicit action steps. The district named Molly Victor and Libby Janssen as staff assisting the effort.
Board members pressed for measurable monitoring of the new kindergarten center, which opens this year. Jeff said the district will gather baseline data throughout the first year and use the 5 Essentials survey as a recurring metric rather than adding a stand‑alone metric immediately: “For the first year, we don't have a baseline. We'll gather baseline throughout the year,” he said. Board member Jess recommended a short satisfaction question plus more targeted, formative questions tied to key events such as curriculum night to capture early impressions.
To reduce duplication and improve oversight, the district proposed aligning one subcommittee to each strategic goal. Under the model, short‑term staff committees would assemble to complete work and disband, while standing subcommittees that include board members, staff and community members would provide a cross‑sectional sounding board. Jeff said the subcommittee structure is intended to “maximize all of those stakeholder groups to get feedback so that when we bring it to the board we know we've run it up and down the chain multiple times.”
The administration also proposed a communications plan to inform families and community members about the updated plan. Jeff said the district will include plan highlights in a community satisfaction survey to be mailed beginning April 7 so the district can capture responses from households without students in the schools. He said communications will include a road show and presentations to advisory groups.
Board members asked how the plan's metrics will be monitored across the year. Jeff said the district will develop a monitoring timeline and noted that the 5 Essentials results, typically available in the fall, would be discussed at a September meeting as part of regular monitoring. Dr. David Bruno (Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources) clarified that timing of some measures depends on state reporting cycles.
The board discussed next steps for policy and committee work and invited continued feedback from advisory councils. Later in the meeting the Board voted to adopt the presented changes to the district's strategic plan (see Votes at a glance).
