Dear District 39 Families,
I hope that all of you are enjoying a safe and fun-filled summer! The start of a new school year is only a few short weeks away and we cannot wait to fill our classrooms again with the energy, passion and smiles of our D39 students. Our first day of school is on Wednesday, Aug. 20 (early release) and the first full day of school on Thursday, Aug. 21. Our D39 teams have been busy preparing for our students’ return and we are all looking forward to a wonderful year ahead.
I am writing to share some important updates and information as we continue to prepare for an outstanding school year ahead.
LOGISTICS
Student and Parent Handbook
We encourage all of our District families to review our
D39 student/parent handbook for details on all District policies and procedures. This informative document was also available to you during the registration/enrollment process. Our
Lechner Early Education Program (LEEP) handbook is also available with information for our youngest D39 learners.
Important Dates
The District 39 calendar for the 2025-26 academic year is available online for both
K-8 families and our
Lechner Early Education Program (LEEP) families. Below are some important dates to note for the start of the new school year:
• Thursday, August 14 – Class Assignments Emailed to Families
• Wednesday, August 20 – First Day of Student Attendance (Grades K-8; Early Release)
• Thursday, August 21 - First Full Day of Student Attendance (Grades K-8)
• Monday, August 25 – Board of Education Regular Business Meeting
• Tuesday, August 26 - First Full Day of LEEP Student Attendance
• Monday, September 1 – Labor Day (No School)
Positive School Attendance and Reporting Student Absence
Consistent daily attendance at school is critically important to student success. Research shows that students learn best and feel most connected to their school when positive attendance is maintained. In District 39, we continue to emphasize consistent daily attendance and will again be providing parents with monthly reminders and attendance tracking data to help families in monitoring their child(ren)’s attendance.
In the event that a student will be absent from school, we ask that families inform their school office either by phone, email, or online through
the PowerSchool Parent Portal. Attendance line phone numbers and email addresses are listed below, by school, and
instructions on how to report an absence via the Parent Portal are available here.
SCHOOL / PHONE / EMAIL
Central / 847-512-6150 /
[email protected]
Harper / 847-512-6250 /
[email protected]
McKenzie / 847-512-6350 /
[email protected]
Romona / 847-512-6450 /
[email protected]
Highcrest Middle School / 847-512-6550 /
[email protected]
Wilmette Jr High School / 847-512-6650 /
[email protected]
Grades 5-8 Schedule Information
As we shared during the spring, Highcrest Middle School and Wilmette Junior High School have made some adjustments to their bell schedules for the 2025-26 academic year which will allow us to provide a daily 25-minute homeroom period. The official start and end times for HMS and WJHS for the 2025-26 academic year are listed below. The
complete bell schedule is also available online for both schools.
• Highcrest: 8:45 am-3:37 pm
• WJHS: 8:20 am-3:12 pm
Student Lunch Account Information
Adding money to your child(ren)’s lunch accounts is done through
the PowerSchool ParentPortal. After logging into the portal, click “Balance” and then “Make a Payment.” You will be directed to RevTrak, where you will see the names of the students linked to your account. You can make a one-time deposit to a child’s account, or you can login to your RevTrak account and set up auto-replenish. Keep in mind that each child has their own balance which must be maintained separately. Please
visit our Food Services webpage for more information.
Transportation Service
District 39 provides optional transportation service for its families. Every family that signed up for bus service before the July 9 deadline should have received their child’s bus pass for the 2025-26 academic year in the mail. If you did not receive your bus pass,
please contact Michelle McGregor, Transportation Liaison. Bus service will be provided each day that school is in session, beginning on Wednesday, Aug. 20 (Early Release Day). For more information, please
visit our D39 Transportation webpage.
Families can still sign up their child(ren) for bus service for the upcoming year through
the PowerSchool Parent Portal by completing the following steps:
• Select “Balance” and then “Make a Payment”
• After being directed to RevTrak, select “Make a Payment” under Transportation.
A photo is provided here for your convenience.
• Select your preferred transportation option
Your child will be placed on a waiting list and, should space be available on their bus route, be assigned a spot in late August. Waitlisted riders will then be able to ride the bus beginning on Tuesday, Sept. 2.
SAFETY
e-Scooter Safety
There has been a lot of attention placed on e-scooters, with injuries among children on the rise. It is important to be aware of dangers and regulations around e-scooters. Effective August 9, 2024, Governor Pritzker amended the Illinois Vehicle Code to add provisions regarding low-speed electric scooters. Some important parts of the law are:
• Prohibits operating a low-speed electric scooters unless a person is 18 years of age or older;
• Prohibits operating a low-speed electric scooter while carrying certain items that prevent the operator from keeping at least one hand on the wheel;
• Prohibits a low-speed electric scooter from carrying more than one person at a time;
• Requires low-speed electric scooters to be well-maintained, in good operating condition, and possess certain required equipment (e.g., lamps, brakes, sirens).
In addition, the American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend e-scooters be ridden by anyone under the age of 16. If you choose to provide one to your child, please talk to your child(ren) about these basic safety rules for e-scooters from healthychildren.org.
• Wear a helmet and closed-toe shoes. Wearing a helmet may prevent or reduce the severity of e-scooter injuries.
• Wear protective gear. This includes elbow and knee pads and reflective gear when riding at night.
• No texting and riding. Use both hands to operate the scooter.
• No earbuds in. Be aware of your surroundings.
• Use bike lanes when available. If not available, riders should stay on the right side of the road.
• Avoid riding e-scooters on sidewalks, beach paths, or parks. This puts pedestrians at risk of injury as well as riders.
Parent Education Event – School Safety
Last year, District 39 hosted a Parent Education event titled
“Feeling Safe in District 39 Schools.” The information presented still holds true as we prepare for the 2025-26 academic year and contains valuable information for families. We encourage all families to watch the recording to learn more about how we work together to maintain a high level of building security and work with community partners to create a feeling of safety for all. Please
visit our Parent Education webpage for more information on our Parent Ed program and recordings of many of our previous presentations.
TECHNOLOGY
Personal Electronic Devices at School – Smartwatches and Cell Phones
We recognize that some parents will provide their children with cell phones and/or smartwatches for convenience or for safety reasons. Inside our school buildings, cell phones and smart watches are treated similarly. During the school day, cell phones must be powered off and stored in lockers. While watches can be worn, students should not use their watch during the school day for calling, messaging, texting, accessing the Internet, recording audio, or taking photos, except in the case of a real emergency. A teacher may ask for smartwatches to be turned off and put away if they perceive it to be a distraction to teaching and learning.
Parents can help to support these expectations by reminding students regularly of these expectations. In addition, we ask parents to avoid texting/calling their children during the day and to make sure that notifications on the smartwatch are set to silent. These restrictions help to minimize disruptions within the learning environment and to maximize student focus, engagement, learning and active participation throughout the school day. If a parent needs to contact their child during the day, we ask that you please call the school office and the message will be relayed to your child.
STRATEGIC PLAN
District 39 Strategic Plan
We are proud to be entering the final year of
our five-year strategic plan (2021-26). This plan has provided an important roadmap for our improvement efforts focused on the most essential, key initiatives while accomplishing collective excellence for our students. Among a myriad accomplishments, within the upcoming school year we are especially excited to welcome:
• Air conditioning across all D39 classroom environments;
• The implementation of new curricula across all grade levels (K-4 Bridges Math, K-2 Early Literacy Foundational Skills, 5-8 Social Studies);
• Implementation of social-emotional learning curriculum (Wayfinder) for grades 5-8; and
• Ongoing school culture and climate work.
Below are highlights from our Strategic Plan work. Please visit these links to learn more about our strategic plan resources and updates on our progress.
•
Strategic Plan Website - Engage, Empower, Inspire
•
Key Performance Indicator (KPI) Dashboard
•
Progress Report of 2024-25 High-Priority Action Steps
•
Year-End Presentation to Board of Education
•
Portrait of a District 39 Scholar
District 39 will begin the process to develop our next strategic plan in January 2026. We will share more information in the months ahead on how you can participate and be a part of shaping the educational journey for the students of Wilmette!
Join Our District Strategic Advisory Team!
Composed of representative stakeholders from district administration, teacher and support staff union leadership, parents, educational professionals, and members of the Board of Education, the District 39 Strategic Advisory Team (DSAT) reviews, informs, and evaluates implementation of the strategic plan as well as the related annual action planning and performance.
The team is charged with making recommendations regarding adjustments to action plans, implementation and progress monitoring, and reviewing key performance indicators (KPIs) while ensuring voice, agency, and representation in decision-making.
This group meets 3 times per year, from 7:15-8:15 am via Zoom with each member serving a two-year term on the team. If you are interested in joining this valuable and important District team,
please fill out and submit this brief application. Dates for this year’s meetings are listed below:
• Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025
• Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026
• Thursday, May 28, 2026
BOARD OF EDUCATION
Committee of the Whole Meeting Recap
The Board of Education conducted its monthly Committee of the Whole meeting yesterday (August 11) at the MEC. The Board heard the following informative and important presentations as part of the meeting:
• Summer 2025 Construction Project Review
• Construction Budget Estimates for 2026
• Fiscal Year 2026 Final Budgets for District 39 and the Wilmette Community Special Education Agreement (WCSEA)
• Technology Use Update
Complete board meeting agendas and materials are posted on Friday afternoon before each Board or Committee Meeting. Recordings of all meetings are available on the District website and via
the District 39 YouTube channel.
Follow District 39 on Social Media!
Make sure to follow our District 39 social media accounts on
Facebook and
Instagram for fun and engaging content and events from around the District!