Board of Education Announcements

Appointment of Board Members

August 8, 2022

At the Saturday, August 6, 2022, Board of Education meeting, the Members of the Board appointed Mr. Louis Mercer and Dr. LaTasha Nelson as Members of the Skokie School District 73.5 Board of Education.

Mr. Mercer and Dr. Nelson will fill the vacant seats on the Board due to the resignation of Board members Carla Arias and Ashley Moy Wooten. Their term will end in April 2023, which is the next Board Election.

Notice of Skokie School District 73.5 Board of Education Vacancy

May 27, 2022

The Skokie School District 73.5 Board of Education will have two open seats effective June 15th due to the resignation of Board Secretary Carla Arias and Board Member Ashley Moy Wooten.

The candidate chosen and appointed by the Members of the Board of Education for Ms. Arias’ seat will fill the vacancy until the end of Ms. Arias’ term in April 2023. 

The candidate chosen and appointed by the Members of the Board of Education for Mrs. Moy Wooten’s seat will fill the vacancy until April 2023.

To be eligible, a candidate must be a U.S. citizen 18 years or older, a registered voter, and must have been a resident of School District 73.5 for at least one year.

Prospective candidates can pick up an application packet in the Skokie School District 73.5 District Office, 8000 East Prairie Road, Skokie, IL, during regular summer business hours or applications can be downloaded at www.sd735.org. 

Applicants must deliver completed applications with supporting documentation, in person to the District Office, by 12:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 30, 2022. Summer office hours are Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For additional information, contact Mrs. Aleksandra Davidovac at 847-676-8237.

Application documents

• Application for Prospective Skokie School District 73.5 Board of Education Members
  Completed application must be delivered in person to the District Office
• Board of Education Policy 2:70 Vacancies on the Board of Education - Filling Vacancies
• Board of Education Policy 2:110 Qualifications, Term, and Duties of Board Officers
• Board of Education Policy 2:120 Board Member Development
• Illinois Association of School Boards: Qualifications and Characteristics of a School Board Member
• Illinois Association of School Boards: School Board Governance Basics

January 24, 2022

The Skokie School District 73.5 School Board is seeking a Community Member to sit on the newly formed Finance Committee.

Qualifications:

• Current resident of District 73.5 for at least one year
• Experience with financial planning, accounting, and/or budgeting preferred
• Ability to commit to meeting monthly as a finance committee (all meetings will be held in accordance with the Open Meetings Act)
• A commitment to the fiscal health of the District and the mission of our District

All applications will be reviewed by the full Board and interviews will be conducted in March 2022. The chosen candidate will be installed at the April 2022 Board meeting.

District 73.5 School Board Finance Committee

Committee Membership:

• District CSBO
• 3 School Board Members selected by the Board President
• 1 Community Member selected by the entire Board after a public call for applications for the position for a two year term

The purpose of the Committee is to review and provide recommendations to the Board regarding the budget and issues that impact the budget including but not limited to:

• Gathers data and makes recommendations regarding employee salaries and benefits to be competitive in the job market
• Develops and recommends administrator contract provisions during relevant negotiations only upon referral from the Board, the Board President with notice to the Board, or the Superintendent
• Provides the Board with guidance on financing initiatives to meet District goals
• Gathers data and reviews District budget, financial projections, and other relevant financial documents and reports
• Advises the Board on current and projected fiscal health of the District
• Assists with creating a financial plan for the District
• Reviews and recommends cost-saving initiatives
• Makes recommendations on financial proposals or issues with significant financial impact on the District
• Reviews recommendations for repairs, maintenance, operations, additions, and/or improvements to District facilities or properties
• Conducts general surveillance of District facilities to review maintenance efforts
• Reviews and reports on progress of construction projects
• Tours the District’s entire buildings and grounds annually
• Assists District administration in preparing the annual maintenance budget
• Gathers relevant information and makes recommendations regarding the acquisition and/or sale of buildings and property

The Committee shall consider and comply with the Board’s duty to bargain in good faith with its employees’ exclusive bargaining representatives and the provisions of existing collective bargaining agreements as relevant and necessary.

Meetings: The Committee will meet monthly. Meeting schedules are set at the beginning of each school year and may be modified as needed subject to the compliance with the Open Meetings Act and Board policy.

Meetings will be held at Skokie District 73.5 Offices and will be open to the public except for matters appropriate for closed session, including to address individual personnel or collective bargaining matters and where otherwise permitted by law, as set forth in the Open Meetings Act. Members of the public shall be afforded time, subject to reasonable constraints, to comment to or ask questions of the Committee.

Agenda: The agenda for a Committee meeting, which shall include the date, time, and location of the meeting, shall be posted 48 hours before the meeting on the School District’s website, at the School District’s administrative offices, 8000 East Prairie Road, Skokie, IL 60076, and shall be subject to the other notice requirements of the Open Meetings Act and Board policy. The CSBO would set the agenda with input from the committee. 

Meeting Minutes/Nature of Product to the Superintendent: Committee meeting minutes will be promptly provided to the Superintendent. Minutes of open meeting sessions will be posted on the District website.

Period of Existence: The Committee shall remain in existence at the discretion of the Board of Education.

Submit an application including cover letter, resume, government ID, and proof of residency.

September 23, 2021

The Skokie School District 73.5 Board of Education has been recognized for their exceptional governance practices by the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB). District 73.5 was one of 35 Illinois school districts to earn the School Board Governance Recognition for their effective governance behaviors and their commitment toward obtaining the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively govern the district.

IASB’s School Board Governance Recognition program acknowledges local boards of education that practice good governance behaviors as outlined by IASB's Foundational Principles of Effective Governance. The focus of Governance Recognition is on full board development and participation, rather than on individual members. Boards of education that meet the necessary requirements are recognized for the two-year honorary distinction.

"It’s not a surprise that the District 73.5 board earned this honor,” said Superintendent Zipporah Hightower. “Our board of education is constantly working to improve the district for our students and for the entire community. The individual board members and the full board are always looking for professional development opportunities to advance their governance knowledge and learn from the successes of their peers in other districts. The board takes their role seriously, which is demonstrated by their focus on equity, student resources, community engagement, as well as student safety, to name a few,” said Superintendent Hightower.

October 2, 2020

Tuesday, April 6, 2021 is Board Election Day. 

Please read information from IASB regarding the Board Election process below.

Information for school board candidates about next year’s school board elections has been posted to the IASB website. Recently updated resources for board of education candidates include the Illinois State Board of Elections 2021 Candidate's Guide and “Qualifications & Characteristics of a School Board Member.”

August 8, 2020

Following the Special/Closed Board Meeting held on Wednesday, August 5th, for the purpose of conducting Board candidate interviews, the members of the Board have selected Ms. Crystal Johnson to fill the Board vacancy.

Ms. Johnson will be seated as a member of the Board at the Tuesday, August 11, 2020, Board of Education meeting.  

Ms. Johnson's term will be August 11, 2020, through April 6, 2021, which is the next Board election.

Nicholas Werth, President
Skokie School District 73.5 Board of Education 

July 13, 2020

There is currently an open seat on the Skokie School District 73.5 Board of Education due to the resignation of Board Member Scott Bramley. The candidate chosen and appointed by the Members of the Board of Education will fill the vacancy until the end of Mr. Bramley’s term in April 2021.

To be eligible, a candidate must be a U.S. citizen 18 years or older, a registered voter, and must have been a resident of School District 73.5 for at least one year. Prospective applicants can pick up an application packet in the Skokie School District 73.5 District Office, 8000 East Prairie Road, Skokie, IL, during regular business hours.

Completed applications with supporting materials (a résumé that lists educational and professional history and evidence to support the qualifications to serve as a Board Member) should be directed to the attention of the Skokie School District 73.5 Secretary to the Board of Education, Laurie Taylor, 8000 East Prairie Road, Skokie, IL 60076.

Applicants have until Tuesday, July 28, 2020, at 12:00 noon, to submit their completed applications to the Skokie School District 73.5 District Office.

For additional information, contact Ms. Taylor at 847.676.8237.

May 11, 2020

As outlined in our April 29th letter to the community, the Board has hired BWP and Associates to assist in the search for a new superintendent. The first step in this process was the hiring of interim superintendents. To provide leadership for the district during the 2020-2021 school year we have interviewed several teams of successful retired superintendents and have selected Dr. John Correll and Ellen Correll as Interim Superintendents starting on July 1st. Dr. Correll and Ms. Correll are currently serving in a similar interim capacity in the Antioch School District. Prior to that Dr. Correll was the long serving superintendent for the Salt Creek School District in Oak Brook. Ms. Correll was the superintendent for the Grayslake Elementary schools for 12 years. Both have strong backgrounds in curriculum and instruction. Due to pension limitations retired administrators can work no more than 120 days. Therefore, we expect that each will work 100 days, giving us coverage for 200 days. Due to the pandemic it is highly unlikely that we will be able to host a meet and greet, but optimistically we hope it is possible through the use of technology.

The search for a permanent superintendent will commence in September and we will include the opportunity for teachers, administration, staff and community members to contribute input. 

On April 28th, Middleton principal Courtney Goodman shared her news that she has accepted a position with Field Elementary School. Pending approval at the May 12th school board meeting, we have also engaged BWP to assist in leading a search for a new principal. BWP will be soliciting input from staff and parents as we move forward to fill this position. To assist in obtaining input an online survey of staff and community will be launched on May 14th and can be accessed through the D73.5 website, social media, and via email. Advertising for principal candidates is going on right now and is open to internal and external applicants.

Finally, our Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Becky Mathison has accepted a position as Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction of West Northfield District 31. Given the current search for a new superintendent and the urgency of the current pandemic, we felt hiring an interim Director of Curriculum and Instruction for the 2020-2021 school year was the best decision for the district. We made this decision so as to give the newly appointed superintendent a chance to have input into the selection of this key administrator as well as teachers and staff. Applications will be accepted from internal and external candidates beginning in the fall. Moving forward, we have offered the Interim Director of Curriculum and Instruction position to Dr. Dawn Green. Dr. Green is currently the interim superintendent in LaGrange District 105. Prior to that she was superintendent/curriculum director in Palos Heights and Somonauk. She has also held a curriculum leadership role in the Bloomington/Normal schools. Again, due to pension limitations Dr. Green will work a maximum of 120 days.

We thank all the departing administrators for their years of service and wish them well in their new positions. We look forward to partnering with the staff and community as we transition and identify the next superintendent for our amazing district. The district will be in good hands.

Nick Werth, President
District 73.5 Board of Education