Wilmette District 39 adopts 2026–2031 strategic plan, sets FY27 tentative budget public hearing and approves consent agenda

The Wilmette Public Schools District 39 board on June 15 completed a multi-hour review of the district’s just-concluded strategic plan results and voted to adopt a refined 2026–2031 strategic plan, while also approving a package of routine business items including the FY27 tentative budgets and procedural resolutions.

Administrators presented results from the concluding five-year plan—citing gains in early literacy and early numeracy, adoption of universal design for learning and MTSS practices, expanded social-emotional learning with Wayfinder, and a 52% fund balance for FY25—then reviewed the draft strategic priorities and commitments for 2026–2031. Presenters emphasized a shift toward short-cycle improvement (30/60/90-day scorecards) and more targeted, disaggregated data to identify pockets of students needing additional support.

Pat Greco (facilitator) and district administrators explained the community engagement process that informed the plan—focus groups and a survey with hundreds of participants—and described five goal areas: student achievement and growth; student experience and community (SEL); professional community; family partnerships; and stewardship of resources.

Board members questioned administrators about how short-cycle targets will be set and reported and whether buildings have the smaller-scale measures administrators called the “little data.” Administration responded that the district will use both teacher- and student-reported monitoring and build scorecards to report short-cycle progress. Administrators also noted some immediate technology changes made this year, such as keeping elementary iPads at school and blocking YouTube and certain AI chat bots at the high school level; they said further policy refinements will be completed over the summer.

On the consent agenda the board approved multiple items moved as a package by a board member and seconded by another. The consent motion included: approval of the personnel report dated 06/15/2026; donation agreements with Central and Harper elementary PTAs for summer projects; approval and public display of the District 39 FY27 tentative budget and the Wilmette Community Special Education Agreement FY27 tentative budget, with public hearings scheduled for 7 p.m. on Aug. 24, 2026; renewal of the State of Illinois school district treasurer bond in the amount of $5,500,000 for FY27; authorization of an aggregate administrative salary increase indexed to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) with an aggregate merit raise of 3.9% for 2026–27; resolutions authorizing transfers between funds and interfund loans as needed for capital projects; and accounts payable and manual check approvals (listed amounts were read into the record). The clerk called the roll and each listed board member voted yes; the consent agenda carried.

Finance office staff previewed the FY27 tentative budget and said the district expects about a $740,000 operating surplus before transfers, and a projected net deficit of approximately $3.5 million after transfers and capital funding decisions; the estimated ending fund balance was presented as just over 40% for FY27 on the slides. The board also set the public hearing date for the tentative budget on Aug. 24, 2026.

Administration presented the state-required bullying report as well: out of 17 investigations this year that rose to the level of full administrative investigation, 8 were substantiated as bullying; presenters emphasized the district’s emphasis on restorative practices, video review and parent outreach and cited a 96.7% student-reported feeling of safety in the district’s climate inventory.

The meeting concluded with routine good-and-welfare items and a motion to adjourn into executive session to discuss personnel, individual student special education matters, and collective negotiations.