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District 86 reports fewer chronically absent students, wider multilingual support and expanded mental‑health screening
Summary
Student services and special education leaders told the Academic Committee that chronic absenteeism has declined, multilingual staff endorsements have increased and mental‑health screening flagged dozens of freshmen for follow‑up; presenters described Section 504/IEP counts and transition programming.
Student services and special education leaders presented a broad update to the Academic Committee on March 18 that included attendance improvements, mental‑health screening results and special education counts and services.
Tracy O'Keefe, multilingual learners department chair, told the committee: "We have 159 multilingual learners within the district. We represent 22 languages total as of this week." She said the district has expanded the number of teachers with multilingual/ESL endorsements from seven in her first year to 38 this year, and that bilingual programming began at a campus once a single‑language threshold of 20 students was reached.
Student services presenters described a multi‑step data verification process for the slides and written report and said the district has seen measurable improvements in attendance and tardiness metrics. Presenters said chronic absenteeism has declined over the last three years and noted average daily attendance rates "in the nineties."
On mental health, presenters described the Alyssa's Mission SOS screener (a lesson paired with an immediate screener) for freshmen. Staff said the tool is scored immediately and that higher‑priority results prompt same‑day interventions and parent contact. Presenters reported that at one site about 15% of freshmen were flagged as priority (47 students at South); at Central presenters said 39 students required follow‑up and that most flagged cases were lower‑priority (level 2 or 3). A staff member said the program is resource‑intensive and emotionally taxing for social workers and counselors but that follow‑up was completed the same day for higher‑priority cases.
The district also reviewed special education and transition services. Presenters said the 12/01/2025 child count showed 505 students with individualized education programs (IEPs) and 37 out‑of‑district placements at that date; staff noted those placement counts change frequently and cited a later check of ~45 students placed out of district. The transition center serves young adults (18–22) across three sites and focuses on post‑secondary employment, independent‑living skills and community‑based vocational supports.
Administrators emphasized staffing needs across counseling, social work and special education teams and said the district is preparing for an ISBE compliance visit in the 2027–28 school year. Committee members asked about whether the SOS screener would meet forthcoming state mental‑health screening requirements; staff said they will evaluate the state's guidance when it is released and seek alignment.
The committee agreed to include the presentation slides and the written student services report with the committee report to the full board.
