I have had the honor and privilege of working in District 86 for more than five years. During that time, I have experienced firsthand what makes this place so special.
We have two exceptional high schools that are among the best in the state. We have a transition program that provides vital services and supports that help prepare young adults with disabilities for success. We have amazing students who are passionate about learning. We have a dedicated and talented team of employees who work to help the young men and women we serve thrive both in and out of the classroom
We also have an incredibly supportive community that values education and has played an integral role in fostering our district's rich history of excellence.
We have made progress on several critical initiatives and amassed a number of impressive accomplishments during the past few months. For example, we started the important task of implementing our strategic plan, which will guide the work we do over the next five years. One of the key tasks we are undertaking in conjunction with this plan is a curriculum alignment process that will help us establish greater cohesion and standardization among our course offerings and fees.
We began the process of implementing our three-year Future Ready Facilities plans, which will enable us to complete much-needed improvements to our high schools that will greatly benefit our students, staff, families and community. We are incredibly grateful to the voters who helped make these improvements possible by approving our referendum. We also appreciate the generous support we have received from community members and alumni, including the committee that is helping to raise $1.6 million for the pool project at Hinsdale Central.
In addition, our students have earned a number of awards, honors and recognitions. Two of our students are serving on the Illinois State Board of Education's Student Advisory Council. Three hundred of our seniors were named Illinois State Scholars by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission. Student-run publications at both high schools received major awards from organizations such as the American Scholastic Press Association and the National Scholastic Press Association. In addition, several of our sports teams and individual student-athletes earned major accolades on and off the field.
While these are merely a fraction of the great things that are happening in our buildings, they reflect our strong and steadfast commitment to ensuring that our schools and district continue to meet the needs of our students and serve as a resource for our entire community. We thank the members of the community for their partnership in helping us to fulfill this commitment and to guide our learners down the path toward their ideal future.
- by Tammy Prentiss,
superintendent
