A consulting firm with national recognition in developing inclusive school cultures will work with administration, board members and staff to build a foundation of belonging in which all individuals can thrive.

Dignity Consulting was formed by the authors of the 2019 book, “Belonging Through a Culture of Dignity: The Keys to Successful Equity Implementation.” The district administrative team has already embarked on studying the book and its action plans. The book is centered on the concept that belonging is really a basic need associated with feeling safe, and basic needs must be met in order to achieve.

“Building a foundation of belonging, we believe, is a long-term commitment for us,” said Superintendent Dr. Jason Pearson.  

In May 2021, a district-wide committee developed a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion mission and vision statement to weave into the district’s strategic goals. The two-year plan outlined by Dignity Consulting will help the district make concrete improvements that impact students. Funded primarily with federal grants, authors Floyd Cobb and John Krownapple will work with administrators, board members, teachers and staff during the two-year initiative.

The action plans and measures of success will be developed within each school. Assistant Superintendent Dr. Kris Raitzer said there would be short cycles to identify and address specific areas of focus and measure the impact on students. She used recess as an example:

"Young children love recess - except for those children who don’t love recess. And the reason they don’t is often because they don’t have a sense of belonging. They don’t belong on the team playing soccer or at the basketball hoop, or with the group talking about their favorite movies, etc. That is a place we can look to better understand, by listening to the the voices of children, where belonging breaks down. Small school teams can think through the next steps to put in place the beginning of a solution," she said.

“We all acknowledge that this work is incredibly complex and important,” Dr. Pearson said. “This is one lens to help us explore and begin to understand each other, and I am certain that it will open the door to other work and perspectives in the district.”

Board members agreed they are excited about the plan, eager to participate and monitor its outcomes.

The district has narrowed its search for an architecture firm to develop a 10-year master facilities plan. Chief School Business Official Jessica Donato said she expects to bring a contract proposal to the Board in February. The Buildings and Grounds Committee were to interview the top two firms this week.

The district sought proposals to develop a 10-year plan that will evaluate:

• space utilization at each school,
• update demographic data and enrollment projects, and
• review safety and security protocols.

A 2019 demographic study conducted by McKibben Demographic Research predicted a 4% increase in students over five years and then a decrease by almost the same amount in the following five years. The year-to-date comparison shows less than 1% change since 2019 overall, but a 7% enrollment increase at Meadowbrook, 5% increase at Northbrook Junior High, a 12% decline at Westmoor/Young Explorers and a 5.5% decline at Greenbriar. 

The board wants an updated demographic study to consider new data, new developments and changes in housing demands due to the pandemic. The 2020 security study will also be updated so the most current information can be factored into the long-range plan.

“Safety, demographics and facility use are all related and it’s critical to look at them together,” said Board President Tracy Katz Muhl.

2023-24 Fee Schedule Set

The general curricular material fee required for each student will remain the same in 2023-24 as it was 2022-23. The fee for grades kindergarten through 5th is $145 per student and for grades 6-8 is $150. The fees are due at spring registration, which begins in April.

Information on how to apply for a reduced rate due to financial hardship is available by contacting Jessica Donato, Chief School Business Official.

Busing continues to face climbing costs due to increasing fuel costs and bus driver wages. The district began implementing yearly increases three years ago to offset quickly rising costs. The district will continue to offer family discounts. Transportation fees will increase by $48 to $526 per year for the first student in a family, to $409 for the second family rider, $293 for the third family rider and no additional costs for four or more students from the same family.

Young Explorers Early Childhood program fees will increase by $100 for the year to $4,400. The program serves special needs students, at-risk students and typically developing students in a blended classroom model. The program fee is for typically developing children. Special needs and at-risk students attend at no charge.

Other smaller fees are seeing minor increases to keep up with inflation.

The Science Fair returned to an in-person expo this year with 43 students presenting the results of their semester-long research projects on Saturday, Jan. 21.

Each student made a presentation to a panel of three judges. The judges evaluate the oral presentation, the written work and scientific method of the experiments based on the Illinois Jr. Academy of Science rubric.

There are gold, silver and bronze awards: 25 students received gold awards; 19 students received a silver award, one received a bronze award. Students receiving the gold award will advance to the Illinois Junior Academy of Science regional competition, which will be held on March 4th at Niles North High School. Congratulations to all students!

The Northbrook Junior High Science Fair is the annual culmination of a semester-long independent science research class where each student chooses their own topic and are guided through the research process with the support of science teachers Amber Paull, Lauren Johnson and Fred Yoon.

“I welcome any student that is really interested. We have a lot of problems out there in the world today, and students are going to solve them. So, I want them to be creative thinkers. I want them to design experiments. I urge them to come up with something that's testable at the middle school level. It's exciting to have kids be excited about science,” said Ms. Paull.

The students learn scientific method, how to research and find appropriate sources, conduct and control their experiments and how to present their findings in a research paper complemented with graphs, statistics and visual evidence.

Above, Dana Kasperek presents her project to a judge during the Jan. 21 NBJH Science Fair.

INSIGHT 28 Podcast

Episode 3: Transforming Math Learning

The latest episode in Dr. Pearson's Podcast, Insight 28, focuses on the math program. Learn about the thinking behind our math program changes, hear from teachers and students, how success is measured, and how to support your children at home. A great weekend listen!

Next up: NBJH Science Fair will release Friday, Feb. 3. Subscribe today wherever you listen to podcasts so you'll be the first to listen.



Download now or look for it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Amazon Music.

Attention Families: Kindergarten Registration Coming in February

Kindergarten registration will be conducted online Feb. 6 - Feb. 10.

To begin the process, please visit the kindergarten registration webpage. There you will find complete instructions on preparing documents and completing forms necessary for registration. You may register your child beginning at 8 a.m. on February 6, 2023.  

STAY CONNECTED TO WHAT'S HAPPENING IN DISTRICT 28!