The Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 Board of Education held its regular meeting on December 18, addressing a range of topics from staff recognitions to financial resolutions and operational updates.
During the meeting, staff and students from Jefferson Early Childhood Center and Franklin Elementary School were recognized as part of the D64 Shining Stars series. The honorees included Francesca Ramirez and Jason Douglas from Jefferson, and John Branch and Dinah Covello from Franklin.
The Board also acknowledged Dr. Kristin Williams, principal at Franklin Elementary School, who will become the Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning and Accountability in Glen Ellyn District 41. Superintendent Dr. Ben Collins said, “We are so grateful for the six years she has spent at Franklin, and for making it the best school it could possibly be. You are a great principal, and you’re a great leader, and everything that you have done with all of our school communities is going to benefit all of our kids for years to come, and you should feel very proud for the work that you have done and the relationships that you have forged here.”
Katie Shamis presented an update on VK Gardens’ sustainability initiatives. In 2025, raised bed gardens were installed at all five elementary schools, producing over 786 pounds of organic produce donated to the Maine Township Food Pantry. Plans for 2026 include expanding these programs to Emerson and Lincoln Middle Schools.
On financial matters, the Board adopted several resolutions related to the 2025 tax levy: Resolution #1376 (Final Tax Levy), Resolution #1377 (Apportioning Tax Levy Extension Reductions), and Resolution #1378 (Tax for Illinois Municipal Retirement Purposes). The Board approved issuing up to $24.5 million in General Obligation School Bonds (Resolution #1379) as part of capital projects authorized by voters in November 2024; this is the second issuance under that referendum. A supplemental tax levy (Resolution #1380) was also authorized to pay interest on outstanding limited bonds.
Finance & Facilities Committee Chair Kurt Kuempel reported ongoing construction at district buildings and discussed putting general education transportation services out for bid next year. He also emphasized improving processes for vendor service evaluations.
Superintendent Dr. Collins noted Moody’s Investors Service has again assigned District 64 an Aa1 bond rating—a strong rating just below Aaa.
Dr. Collins and Board President Matt Doubleday addressed delays in Cook County property tax bill distributions: “I want to continue to remind everybody of the outstanding work that the administration and teachers in this District do, but then I also want to comment on how that work can be hamstrung by the failure of leadership at the Cook County Treasurer’s Office and their inability to get tax bills out on time or fund those taxes back to the 144 districts in this county,” said Doubleday. “And it has cost our District over a million dollars so far.” Dr. Collins added: “Just to clear the air, we have received zero official communication from anybody about this… And so when you’re talking about a loss of a million dollars, that’s really unacceptable.” Tax Anticipation Warrants are being used as a temporary measure until funds arrive.
Administrators updated progress on strategic planning goals after gathering feedback from alumni now attending Maine South and Maine East High Schools regarding high school preparedness. The district is implementing a “Cycle of Inquiry” process focused on academic improvement goals set through data analysis at each building.
Middle school staff are undergoing professional development ahead of changes next year introducing new schedules with longer instructional blocks.
Student fees for registration will remain unchanged for 2026-27; tuition charges will no longer apply for full-day kindergarten starting that year. Assistant Superintendent Brian Harlan presented detailed fee structures based on early or late registration deadlines across grade levels as well as activity-specific fees such as music participation ($25-$50), Chromebook maintenance ($50), athletics ($45-$150), and bus services ($210-$550).
Enrollment opens January 20 with early-bird discounts available through March 13; families missing this deadline may face records release if not registered by then.
The Consent Agenda was approved covering routine items including payrolls, personnel reports, summer session plans, system renewals (PowerSchool), facility proposals (Washington Casework Proposal; Lincoln Cafeteria Tables Proposal; Field Addition Furniture Proposal; Lincoln/Franklin Sonitrol Access Control Systems), financial updates through October 31, approval of minutes from prior meetings, among others.
