District 112 Revises Draft Future Boundary Maps, Reconfiguration

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — North Shore School District 112 Superintendent Mike Lubelfeld Monday convened the penultimate meeting of a committee tasked with preparing recommendations for the long-term future of the district. The Long Range Planning Committee was presented with the fifth draft of a boundary model for the district and a proposed seven-year plan since it began meeting in July. Then on Tuesday, Lubelfeld provided the NSSD-112 board with a progress update on plans for a roadmap for the future of teaching and learning in the district.

A draft proposal before the committee for an $83 million investment over seven years would be funded with alternative revenue bonds that could be issued without a referendum. It would be used renovate and upgrade facilities without raising taxes, according to Lubelfeld. In addition to improving facilities and downsizing to become more financially sustainable, he said student achievement would be improved by confronting the "brutal facts" that the district has "slipped" in its focus on teaching and learning.

"We've lost our way and we can't be afraid to talk about it and admit it. We don't need to be embarrassed. Deal with it," Lubelfeld said, assuring the committee of the accuracy of test results indicating NSSD-112 is the worst-performing of affluent North Shore public school districts. He noted there were no complaints about the reliability of the numbers when the district's scores were near the top of the assessment rankings.

"So it's time for us to realize that we've lost our curricular alignment. We've for some reason stopped directly supporting teachers with resources and materials that are evidence based," Lubelfeld said. "And we took our eye off the ball about what certain programs are for. Now we're doing a correction and we're going to re-correct that and we're going to fix that. I understand this offends people. I understand this makes us uncomfortable. I don't apologize for it."

The Sept. 24 committee meeting also discussed what to do artwork, artifacts and other district assets. Claire Warner, an appraiser retained by the district to evaluate its assets, presented options for the future of the district's diverse collection, which includes murals commissioned by the New Deal-era Works Progress Administration. Because most of the work is most valued by members of the community, Warner recommended an internal auction.

The fifth draft of the boundary model included unchanged catchment areas for Ravinia and Braeside elementary schools. Since 2012, the district has explored 75 boundary models, according to meeting materials for the Sept. 24 committee meeting.

In the latest proposal, children of military personnel on the east side of the district would attend Indian Trial after 2021, while those in the west would stay at Wayne Thomas. Lubelfeld said community feedback convinced him that his earlier aim to have all students with military parents attend the same school was mistaken. The final Long Range Planning Committee meeting is scheduled for Oct. 4. Recommendations will be presented to the board Oct. 24.

Video of the Sept. 24 meeting of the North Shore School District 112 Long-range Planning Committee:

Video of presentation from Superintendent Mike Lubelfeld at the Sept. 25 meeting of the North Shore School District 112 Board of Education:

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