Bremen CHSD 228 superintendent reports strong start to school year; district posts highest graduation rate in two decades

Superintendent Brad Sikora told the Bremen Community High School District 228 Board of Education on Aug. 19 that the district opened for the year on schedule, credited staff across departments for the start, and highlighted academic indicators showing progress, including a district graduation rate above 90 percent.

Sikora opened a longer-than-usual superintendent’s report with thanks to the cabinet and building teams, saying they “went above and beyond to make sure that we start.” He singled out work in teacher induction, transportation and building projects, and the district’s shift to Skyward for payroll and staff timekeeping.

The superintendent presented several performance indicators the district monitors, including “freshman on track” and course-passing rates as measures tied to four‑year graduation outcomes. Sikora said the district’s graduation rate “is over 90 percent,” and added that he has not seen that level in his 20 years with the district. He said the figure was the highest since at least 1984 and emphasized continued effort toward improvement.

Hillcrest High School presented five‑year Advanced Placement (AP) trends during the meeting. Hillcrest staff credited reduced cost barriers for exams — funded in part using Title funds — with increasing participation. School presenters said pass rates rose, and that 86 AP exams were passed this year by 57 students, the highest totals the school has recorded in the period the presenters examined.

Sikora and principals described a variety of start‑of‑school activities intended to build student belonging and engagement: freshman orientation days, activity fairs, student council volunteers guiding new students, and themed “senior sunrise” events. The principals said many schools used partnerships with community groups — including at least one campus that partnered with Chick‑fil‑A to hand out sandwiches during orientation — to create welcoming events.

Operations partners and contracts were highlighted as contributing to a smoother opening. The district reported being fully staffed with Prudential Security at building entrances and that communications with Illinois School Bus have been improved to reduce family anxiety about routing and arrival times. Sodexo (food service) has expanded meal options; the district said it had reduced a processing fee tied to families’ payments by about 65 percent and is communicating that reduction to families. Mindsight was described as the district’s long‑term technology partner; staff credited Mindsight with improving backup and monitoring systems and enabling faster recovery and 24/7 alerts.

The facilities report noted completed projects ahead of the school year: new switchgear and a generator at Hillcrest that can power the school building (except the field house), renovation of a science lab, new ADA‑compliant bleachers and refinished gym floors at Hillcrest, new bleachers at Oak Forest, and classroom LED lighting upgrades across the district. The facilities presenter said maintenance and custodial teams worked throughout the summer to prepare buildings.

Special education staff reported results on Illinois State Board of Education indicator 8 (parent involvement). The district said parents rated it 4 or higher on 81.25 percent of survey items measuring parent involvement, above the state average of 68.2 percent. The special education director noted areas for improvement, including offering childcare during IEP meetings and additional parent training, and said indicator 14 (post‑secondary outcomes for students with IEPs) data collection was ongoing with a close on Aug. 30.

Principals from multiple campuses gave short reports. Delta Academy’s principal, Erin Collins, said Delta had a 70 percent attendance rate for all students and an 81.25 percent rate for registered students — the highest back‑to‑school attendance for that program since 2018. Several principals highlighted band opportunities (including a Hillcrest band performance with the pop group AJR and Tinley Park’s invitation to perform with another touring act), freshmen orientation turnout, and upcoming homecoming and spirit activities.

During public comment, community member Philip Richardson, identifying himself as “Uncle Phil,” described informal internship‑style work he has run with Hillcrest students and asked who he should contact to formalize an entrepreneurship/internship program. The board said staff would follow up directly.

Board business on the consent/approval agenda included routine minutes, bills and payroll, a fiscal‑year pay‑rate item, and personnel recommendations. Those items were moved, seconded and approved by roll call (recorded as unanimous “Aye” votes among the named board members present). The board also reported recent Freedom of Information Act requests and announced upcoming meetings.

Why this matters: the superintendent’s report and campus updates provide an early snapshot of the academic and operational priorities the district will emphasize this year: keeping freshmen on track, expanding opportunity and career pathways, reducing barriers to AP participation, maintaining building safety and continuity of services, and continuing to improve parent engagement for special education families.

Votes at a glance

- Approval of minutes (regular and closed meeting minutes for July 15, 2025; committee minutes for Aug. 12, 2025) — Moved by Mr. Whitcomb; second by Mr. Patterson; roll call recorded as all members present voting Aye.

- Item 5.1 — Bills, addendum to bills, payroll and CDS bills — Moved by Mr. Whitcomb (recorded as “Wickham” in roll call); second by Mr. Patterson. Roll call: Mr. Whitcomb (Wickham) Aye; Mr. Patterson Aye; Mrs. Gleeson Aye; Ms. List Aye; Ms. Lott Aye; Ms. Solis Aye; Mrs. Ressler Aye. Outcome: approved.

- Item 5.2 — Fiscal year 2025–26 rates of pay — Moved by Mrs. Gleeson; second by Ms. Lott. Roll call: Mrs. Gleeson Aye; Ms. Lott Aye; Ms. List Aye; Mr. Patterson Aye; Ms. Solis Aye; Mr. Whitcomb Aye; Mrs. Ressler Aye. Outcome: approved.

- Personnel recommendations (retirements, resignations, leaves, new hires and position changes presented by Mr. Towner) — Moved by Mr. Whitcomb; second by Mrs. Gleeson. Roll call: Mr. Whitcomb Aye; Mrs. Gleeson Aye; Ms. List Aye; Ms. Lott Aye; Mr. Patterson Aye; Ms. Solis Aye; Mrs. Ressler Aye. Outcome: approved.

Ending

Board members congratulated the administration and building teams on the graduation rate and on the start of the year. The board set a community meeting for Sept. 9 and its next regular meeting for Sept. 16 at Oak Forest High School and adjourned after a unanimous voice/roll‑call vote.