Dear D36 Families,

We hope you enjoyed the Thanksgiving season. At the November 27, 2018 School Board Meeting, the Board determined the timeline for final planning, approval, and implementation of a Redistricting Plan. The goal of this plan is to update the elementary attendance boundaries and align enrollments with school capacities. New boundaries will be finalized in September 2019, approved by the Board in October 2019, and implemented for the 2020-2021 school year. This will occur after an extensive and collaborative evaluation involving the District Administration, Village, Police, and Cropper GIS (the District's demographer). Together, we will work to ensure that the plan is the best possible long-term plan for the community and provides practical accommodations for families impacted by the kindergarten redistricting

The District and Board recognize this is a complex decision-making process. An imbalance in elementary school enrollment among the three elementary schools--the widest in over 50 years--necessitated a thorough review of school attendance areas. As the Board examined short-term solutions in 2016, it was evident that a long-term plan would best solve the many complex issues we are facing--including our enrollment imbalance and aging facilities. Once the Board approved our Educational Master Facility Plan (EMFP) in October we were able to immediately re-engage in the redistricting process. It is important to note that regardless of the outcome of an April 2019 referendum, redistricting will occur in fall 2020.

The District and Board's primary goal is to establish a plan that will be long-term and to provide options that allow students currently attending a school to remain at that school. As we move through this process, families will receive regular communication with updates on redistricting. A webpage dedicated to Redistricting information will be updated regularly.  You may reference the Redistricting Fact Sheet to learn more about the many considerations that are part of this process.

Again, we recognize that this is a complex and emotional issue for our community. We remain dedicated to supporting you and your family as we move forward and thank you for your patience.

Sincerely,

Trisha Kocanda         Kristen Hertel

Superintendent         School Board President

The Winnetka Public Schools community empowers every student to flourish in 

an innovative, experiential environment. We support and challenge all learners 

to actively engage in continual growth and achievement to make 

a meaningful difference in the world.