Huntley Community School District 158 administrators and teachers told the board on Oct. 16 about a collaborative high-school field trip that paired self-contained special education students with general education classes at the Museum of Science and Industry.

Why it matters: School leaders described the trip as a practical example of "meaningful inclusion," noting student social connections, shared learning and operational lessons learned to make future joint outings easier.

What happened
- Teachers from self-contained and general-education science classes coordinated in advance to have students meet and work together before the trip; the visit included an "Amazing Race"-style set of challenges and a pancake breakfast.
- Staff said the outing is one of the first combined trips of its kind in recent memory for the district and reported strong interactions between the groups: students sang together on buses and worked across classroom boundaries during exhibits.
- Planning challenges included obtaining transportation and coordinating differing field-trip approval forms; the district's communications and transportation staff, including Adi Gill and others, helped secure a second bus and volunteer drivers.

Board and staff comments
Assistant Superintendent for Special Services (identified in the meeting as the assistant superintendent for special services) and teachers praised the collaboration. One board member urged the district to standardize and streamline the process so other teachers can replicate similar inclusive outings without administrative friction.

Next steps
Staff suggested the district refine field-trip workflows, forms and transportation processes so that future inclusive trips can be more easily organized. The teachers said students have already asked when they will do another joint outing.