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Parents and teachers urge pause to Grayslake CCSD 46 staffing plan as board backs changes
Summary
Teachers and dozens of parents told the Board of Education on April 8 that a proposed 2026–27 staffing plan—cutting reading assistants, SEL coaches, media staff and other student-facing roles while adding four assistant principals—lacks transparency and risks student supports; the board and superintendent defended the plan and approved routine contracts and purchases.
Dozens of teachers, reading specialists and parents told the Community Consolidated School District 46 Board of Education on Wednesday that a proposed staffing plan for 2026–27 would weaken student supports and was advanced without adequate public data.
Quoi Flores, president of the Grayslake Federation of Teachers, said the union repeatedly asked for the “data behind these decisions, the methodology, the criteria, the rubrics,” and called the process opaque. “Trust has been damaged,” she said, adding that the union will track outcomes and return if supports decline.
Union leaders and school staff outlined the classroom work performed by reading assistants, social-emotional learning coaches, media specialists and teachers-on-special-assignment. Jennifer Miller, vice president of the union, told the board the union’s analysis shows the district could lose roughly 40% of reading assistants and said that would sharply reduce pull-out instruction, small-group reading interventions and supports for multilingual learners.
Reading specialist Kelly Barnbaum said the district’s reading gains were the product of coordinated work by certified staff and assistants, and warned reductions would likely increase students needing intensive instruction. Lynn Misalunas and other media staff described how library and media roles provide literacy instruction, testing support and technology assistance; they said cuts could leave media centers closed at times.
Several parents recounted episodes of classroom dysregulation and asked how fewer student-facing staff would preserve safety and legal obligations for K–2 reading screening. Karen Weiss, a longtime resident, reminded the board that under Illinois law the district must screen K–2 students for reading difficulties and requested a written explanation of how mandated interventions will be maintained with fewer reading assistants.
Speakers asked for building- and grade-level enrollment projections, MTSS caseload and IEP workload analysis, and a transparent financial model explaining how the district’s stated need to contain costs (district projected an enrollment decline of about 90 students and estimated roughly $700,000 in savings from the plan) is addressed by shifting positions to administration.
The board’s leadership and the superintendent defended the process. Board President Steven Mack, who identified himself as a parent and former teacher, said the board’s responsibility includes ‘‘ensuring the long-term health and stability of the district’’ and that the board verifies administration recommendations. Mack said the board will require monitoring and regular updates as the plan is implemented.
Superintendent Dr. Glickman acknowledged the community’s concerns and clarified several points: she confirmed the administrative headcount will increase from 20 to 25 (four added) while one role is recategorized, and stated, “there will be no reductions in services for students who qualify for IEP support.” She said some daily work commenters described reflects how staff currently fill needed roles, but not necessarily how positions were originally designed.
Board members said they have reviewed student-performance reports, demographic projections and the budget and that they asked questions of administration and the union before supporting the recommendation; several members said they would continue to seek additional data and to monitor outcomes closely.
The board also approved routine business. By roll-call votes the board adopted the consent agenda (including a personnel addendum), approved the Organic Life Food Service contract — with administration reporting 30–40% of menu items are locally or regionally sourced within a 400-mile radius — and approved the E-rate purchase previously presented to the board.
The board outlined next steps and meeting plans: strategic-planning consultant presentations on April 22, a May 13 policy committee meeting that could include assistant-principal contract approvals, and a June 10 preliminary budget presentation and strategic-plan update. The board will continue to receive community input and said it expects administration to report back with monitoring data as the district implements the staffing plan.
