District 30 Board Brief
October 12, 2023 - Board of Education Meeting Summary
Incoming Willowbrook principal named
During this month's Board meeting, all members unanimously voted to approve Mrs. Katie Compagno as the new principal of Willowbrook School in Glenview starting July 1.
Mrs. Compagno is currently Assistant Principal at Wescott School. She will replace current Willowbrook Principal Dr. Scott Carlson, who will become District 30’s new Director of Human Resources also on July 1.
Mrs. Compagno is a respected and trusted leader at Wescott School, where staff, parents, and students sing her praises. She is a visible leader who collaborates to ensure students and staff have the resources they need to be successful. I am confident her responsive, supportive leadership will build upon the strong foundation at Willowbrook and lead students, staff, and community to new achievements in the classroom and beyond.
Since July 2022, Mrs. Compagno has served as Wescott Assistant Principal, with primary responsibilities focused on student success, well-being and safety, staff evaluations and development, and administrative initiatives. Prior to this, she served from 2014-22 as Director of Student Activities in Niles Township High School District 219. Her 14 years in education also include service as a math teacher at both Mt. Carmel High School in Mt. Carmel, Ill. and Wheaton North High School.
“I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to lead Willowbrook, just as serving the wonderful community of Wescott has been a true privilege, and I am excited to grow within our outstanding school district” Mrs. Compagno says. “Together with Willowbrook’s outstanding staff, I will ensure that the school continues its history of student and staff success and rich traditions, while continuing to build an environment where all stakeholders are supported and valued.”
Mrs. Compagno earned a master’s degree in educational leadership with dual principal and teacher leader endorsement from Aurora University, and is currently earning a chief school business official endorsement from Concordia University in River Forest. She also earned a response to intervention certificate from University of St. Francis in Fort Wayne, Ind., and completed her bachelor’s degree in secondary education mathematics from Millikin University in Decatur.
District 30 is seeking feedback from parents and staff on key qualities and characteristics they feel should be embodied by the assistant principal.
We are focused on identifying a highly qualified candidate for the Wescott Assistant Principal and ensuring a seamless transition for the school into the 2024-25 academic year. Stakeholder feedback is essential in order to ensure Wescott’s next assistant principal will best serve our students, staff, and community.
Please join me in congratulating Mrs. Compagno on her new role!
Sincerely,
Dr. Emily K. Tammaru
Superintendent of Schools
Superintendent's report
Superintendent Dr. Emily Tammaru shared reports on the following topics:
Enrollment projections for 2024-25: Based on the previous four-year data and trends, she shared that District 30 estimates there will be approximately 90 kindergarten students for the 2024-25 school year – 12 fewer students than initially projected – and slightly lower enrollment overall.
She explained that the current housing market is impacting enrollment, citing McGibbon Demographic Group insights that state the Glenview area needs to have an average of 550 existing homes on the market at any given time to ensure that there is enough in-migration of young households to maintain the current enrollment level. Currently, that number is 260. Additionally, she shared, McGibbon states the Northbrook area needs to average 400 and is currently at 230.
The group's analysis shows that much of this decline in supply is due to the effects of COVID-19 and the fact that many of the elderly are continuing to delay downsizing. "District 30 is certainly a place where people want their children to live and go to school, and houses are selling the moment they go on the market for above asking price," she added.
Dr. Tammaru noted that District 30 will continue to publicize kindergarten enrollment and monitor enrollment overall.
Staffing: Dr. Tammaru reported that this spring, District 30 has hired five new staff members to fill key vacancies that include Maple teachers for science and choir, and continues to review candidates for open roles. She noted the district posted positions early in order to access top candidates. "Of new teachers hired, we are happy to report that the hires mirror our student demographics," Dr. Tammaru said.
Additionally, Dr. Tammaru asked the Board to consider the hiring of an additional social worker to support the mental health of our students.
Maple spring musical: Dr. Tammaru also highlighted Maple's "Lightning Thief, TYA" spring musical, commending the nearly 70 students involved behind the scenes, as well as Mrs. Jamie Holmer for directing and choreographing, and Mrs. Theresa Blackburn for leading the crew. "There's so much excitement around it, and their performances have just been phenomenal," she said.
Willowbrook School Report
Willowbrook Principal Dr. Scott Carlson and Assistant Principal Mr. Erik Brekke presented the annual Willowbrook School report. Click below to review:
Presidential award approved
The Board officially approved the Presidential Award for Educational Excellence Resolution that will be awarded to our students on the evening of May 1.
Personnel report
The Board approved the hiring of the following incoming staff members for the 2024-25 school year: Molly A. Berendt, Social Worker, Wescott & Willowbrook; Megan Hanson, Elementary PE Teacher, TBD; Daphne Meng, General Music Teacher, Maple; Jennifer Winter, Social Worker, Maple; Esther Xu, Science Teacher, Maple.
The board also approved these new roles for the following staff members: Lauren Braverman, Learning Behavior Specialist at Wescott; Dr. Scott Carlson, Director of Human Resources; Kate Kamin, Willowbrook, Learning Behavior Specialist; David Karnoscak, Maple, Interventionist/Guided Studies; Katie Keesbury, Wescott, Reading Specialist 1.0.
Additionally, the board also approved two resignations and three leaves of absence.
Board reports
True North
Board Vice President Mr. Ammar Rizki highlighted the most recent True North board meeting, which included the adoption of the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, ratification of new contracts for teachers and instructional assistants, and an update on the cooperative's 2023-28 strategic plan.
He also discussed that a member district has started measures to withdraw from the cooperative and another is considering departure. As a result, he reported, True North is seeking to right-size the cooperative by looking to add new districts, and advocating for more funds from the state of Illinois, among several options. He added that the loss of the two districts could possibly result in higher fees for District 30.
Next District 30 School Board Meeting
You are welcome to join us at our next Board Meeting!
Thursday, Apr 25, 2024, 07:00 PM
Maple School, Shermer Road, Northbrook, IL, USA
Our Board of Education
The Board of Education consists of seven members elected from the general public to serve the entire Northbrook/Glenview School District 30 Community. The Board provides governance for the district by hiring and evaluating the superintendent and approving a budget, policies, and goals that align with the district's strategic plan. Board members are:
- President -Jeff Zuercher
- Vice President - Ammar Rizki
- Zivit Blonder
- Keith Karchmar
- Pamela Manicioto
- Patrick Wang
- Dr. Stephanie Yohannan
Northbrook/Glenview District 30
Northbrook/Glenview District 30 exists to create a community that craves learning, fosters resiliency, and cares deeply for every student. District 30 serves more than 1,200 students in pre-K through 8th grade across Willowbrook, Wescott and Maple Schools.
Email: communications@district30.org
Website: district30.org
Location: 2374 Shermer Road, Northbrook, IL, USA
Phone: 847-498-4190