Board gives superintendent an 'effective' rating; superintendent reports hiring progress, high demand for school‑choice slots and improved survey scores

The Forest Hills Board of Education adopted Superintendent Kirby’s year‑end evaluation at the June 8 meeting, with board members praising her leadership and trust‑building. The board's discussion resulted in an 'effective' rating for the superintendent's year.

In her superintendent report, Kirby said hiring and onboarding are progressing (31 staff in the onboarding pipeline) and that administrative support and transportation agreements remain under negotiation. She highlighted extracurricular achievements (district teams and individual athletes), and reported program expansion news: Hand to Hand will expand at Northern Trails next year, and Kids Hope will operate at Ada Elementary with Amway named as a partner.

On enrollment and choice, Kirby said the district approved 150 school‑choice slots and received "well over 400" applicants, creating a substantial waitlist. She confirmed the first day of school will be Aug. 26 and staff return Aug. 20. Kirby presented survey results showing employee participation increased by 207 respondents and parent participation rose by 560; the parent net promoter score increased from 52 to about 56.6, while student net promoter declined by approximately 2.85 points. Kirby said building‑level and parent/student reports will be rolled out in the fall.

The board closed public comment with no speakers and adjourned. Next procedural step: staff will continue bargaining with outstanding groups and communicate onboarding and survey reporting timelines to stakeholders.