After the Board: Highlights from July 21, 2026 Board of Education

Superintendent Video Recap

The Board recognized Laurie Jacobson, teacher at West Elementary School, for her years of dedicated service to the students, staff, and families of Sycamore. Laurie was honored for exemplifying the Portrait of a Spartan dispositions of Resilience, Empathy, and Collaboration throughout her career and for the lasting impact she has made on the West Elementary community.

The Board held a public hearing regarding Driver Education fees for the 2026-27 school year. 

District administration shared that:

• The district plans to maintain the current $250 Driver Education fee.
• The fee covers only a portion of the program's operating costs, with the district continuing to subsidize the remainder.
• Students who qualify for fee waivers continue to receive Driver Education at no cost.
• No Board action was taken during the hearing. Additional discussion occurred later in the meeting.

Community Partnerships

Dr. Kristen Campbell highlighted the district's partnership with the Sycamore Chamber of Commerce to provide welcome bags for new educators. Filled with information and resources from local businesses and organizations, these bags help introduce new staff to the community while supporting the Board Goals of Community Partnerships, Student Achievement, and Financial Resources.

She also shared updates on:

• Summer Popsicles on the Playground events
• Attendance at the Illinois Association of School Administrators New Superintendent Conference
• Successful summer hiring events hosted throughout the community

Learning & Teaching

Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Maurice Davis, provided an update on summer work underway, including:

• School improvement planning
• Curriculum and instructional resource reviews
• Updates to the district's Learning & Teaching webpages

Operations

Chief Operating Officer, Jeremy Bell shared updates on several district initiatives, including:

• Transportation planning and fleet management
• Technology upgrades, including wireless infrastructure improvements and Chromebook replacement
• Distribution of graphing calculator software licenses as a lower-cost option for students
• Ongoing summer cleaning and facility preparations
• A review of legacy phone lines that will generate approximately $25,000 in annual savings for the district

Board Goals

The Board Goals are now available on the district website. Administration will develop detailed strategic roadmaps throughout August and plans to present them to the Board in September. The district also continues work toward selecting a strategic planning partner, with a recommendation expected at the August Board meeting.

Board Action

Old Business

11.01 Consideration to Approve April 7 IASB Board Workshop Next Steps

The Board approved the recommended next steps following the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) Governance Workshop. We will incorporate these recommendations into future policy, board handbook updates, and governance practices as we continue to support effective board leadership and continuous improvement.

New Business

12.01 Extracurricular Stipends Discussion

The Board discussed the formation of an Extracurricular Opportunities Committee, which will include administrators, teachers, coaches, and district leadership. The committee will develop a collaborative and transparent process for reviewing future extracurricular opportunities and associated stipend requests. No action was taken.

12.02 Driver Education Waiver Discussion

The Board discussed the district's Driver Education fee structure following the public hearing. Administration recommended maintaining the current $250 Driver Education fee, noting that the district continues to subsidize the program while providing fee waivers for qualifying families. The discussion also included future authorization procedures and ongoing review of program costs. No action was taken.

You can view the full agenda and attachments from the meeting on Diligent Community. You can also view the full recording on YouTube.