As we enter the last stretch of the school year before Winter Break all students across the district will be participating in Middle-of-Year assessments. This time starts an important series of district-wide check-ins where student progress is measured in a few ways and communicated to you. Student attendance will be important. Individual school schedules will vary and may be communicated to you by the building principal. Individual student results will be sent home with students in January.

As winter settles in, we want to remind families of our District’s cold weather policies and procedures to ensure the safety and well-being of all students.

District 60’s Family and Community Engagement (FACE) department is hosting a Cyber Security Parent University on Wednesday, December 11, at Clark Elementary School, 601 Blanchard Road. This free event begins at 6 p.m. and is designed to help families protect themselves from cyber threats.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year for school concerts, and Waukegan Public Schools students have several shows planned in the upcoming weeks to fill you with holiday cheer.

Waukegan High School will host its second Transformation Plan feedback session on Tuesday, December 3 at the WHS-Brookside Campus, beginning at 5:30 p.m. This session is an opportunity for families, staff, students, and community members to collaborate to help shape the future of Waukegan High School.

The Board of Education for Waukegan Public Schools will meet in a Special Meeting on Monday, December 2, 2024, at 6:00 pm in Room 120 at Lincoln Center, 1201 North Sheridan Road, for the purpose of discussing annual performance goals for the superintendent arising out of her evaluation. This meeting will be held in Closed Session. A brief open session with Public Comment will precede the closed session portion. No formal action will be taken during the open session.

A regular meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Monday, November 25, 2024, at 7 p.m. for Open Session, and 6 p.m. for Closed Session. The meeting will be conducted in person in the Lincoln Center Board Room, 1201 N. Sheridan Road. Closed Session will occur in Room 120. The meeting will be on Monday due to Thanksgiving Break.

The Winter sports season is underway, and Waukegan High School basketball will host its annual Meet the Bulldogs event on Friday, November 22 beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the Dog Pound.

Waukegan High School Co-Principal Daniel Hill has been named the Illinois Principals' Association's (IPA) Lake Region High School Principal of the Year. Mr. Hill, who leads the Washington Campus and AOEC, received the honor from the IPA’s Lake Region this month. He is one of four educators throughout Lake County recognized by the organization. As the regional winner, Mr. Hill will now be a nominee for statewide recognition in 2025.

Five Waukegan High School student musicians recently performed in the Illinois Music Education Association District 7 Music Festivals. Students submitted video auditions to play in the prestigious concert alongside several other northeastern Illinois students earlier this year.

The Board of Education for Waukegan Public Schools will meet in a Special Meeting on Monday, November 18, 2024, at 6:00 pm in Room 120 at Lincoln Center, 1201 North Sheridan Road, for the purpose of discussing annual performance goals for the superintendent arising out of her evaluation. On November 19, 2024, the Student Achievement and Operation Services Committee meetings will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the Lincoln Center Board Room, 1201 N. Sheridan Road. No formal Board action will be taken during the meetings.

Waukegan Community Unit School District No. 60 joins school districts across Illinois in celebrating School Board Members’ Day. Observed annually on November 15, Board Members’ Day is an opportunity to recognize and thank the unpaid volunteers who serve school districts across the state. These individuals work tirelessly for the benefit of their stakeholders and provide a vital voice for the communities they represent. This year’s theme is “Give them the recognition they have earned!”

At Waukegan Public Schools, we recognize regular school attendance's crucial role in each student's academic success. As we approach the holiday season, we want to remind you of the importance of maintaining consistent attendance and to inform you of critical dates and policies. Please read below, and remember some of these important points when planning and planning a potential holiday family trip.

As we continue working toward our vision for Waukegan High School, we’re excited to announce the dates for the upcoming community information sessions regarding our High School Transformation Plan. These sessions offer a valuable opportunity to collaborate and learn about the next steps in our efforts to enhance our students' educational experience.

A regular meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, at 7 p.m. for Open Session, and 6 p.m. for Closed Session. The meeting will be conducted in person in the Lincoln Center Board Room, 1201 N. Sheridan Road. Closed Session will occur in Room 120.

Hear ye, hear ye! Tickets are now on sale for the annual Madrigal Dinner hosted by the Waukegan High School Music Department. This year’s feast is set to take place on Friday, December 6, and Saturday, December 7.

Waukegan Community Unit School District’s Diverse Learner Department will host an online informational presentation on November 14 on Social Security benefits, and how they relate to children and adults with disabilities.

District 60’s K-8 theater program, the Waukegan Performing Arts Company (WAUK-PAC) will debut its next production, Frozen Jr., in November. Nearly 65 Waukegan students representing 11 schools make up the cast and crew of the production.

The Board will meet in a Special Meeting on Thursday, November 7, 2024, at 6:00 pm in Room 120 at Lincoln Center, 1201 North Sheridan Road, for the purpose of discussing annual performance goals for the superintendent arising out of her evaluation. This meeting will be held in Closed Session. A brief open session with Public Comment will precede the closed session portion. No formal action will be taken during the open session.

Waukegan Community Unit School District #60 has been awarded the prestigious "Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting" (CAFR) by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for its comprehensive annual financial report for the fiscal year ending in June 2023.

The Waukegan High School Theatre Department will debut its production of "The NeverEnding Story" on November 8 to 10 in the Trapp Auditorium of the Waukegan High School-Brookside Campus.

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) released the annual Illinois School Report Card today, which shows how schools and districts across the state are progressing on a wide range of educational goals. This year’s Report Card is based on data from the 2023-2024 school year. Stakeholders can find their District/School report card by going to www.illinoisreportcard.com. The Report Card offers a complete picture of student and school performance and provides the school community with an opportunity to reflect on last year’s strengths and discuss areas for continuous improvement.

. We are excited to share an update on our Waukegan High School Transformation Plan and offer a glimpse into the future of our school. As you may recall, this plan was launched in 2022 with the goal of enhancing the educational experience for all our students. Through research and collaboration with stakeholders, we have worked to establish a long-term vision for Waukegan High School.

Waukegan Public Schools will host two special Parent University events in October aimed at empowering parents and guardians of elementary students with tools to support their children's education journey.

A regular meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, at 7 p.m. for Open Session, and 6 p.m. for Closed Session. The meeting will be conducted in person in the Lincoln Center Board Room, 1201 N. Sheridan Road. Closed Session will occur in Room 120.

Earlier this week our District publicly presented important information related to both our End of Year (EOY) student data from the 2023-2024 school year, as well as Beginning of the Year (BOY) student data for 2024-2025.

We are writing to provide an important update regarding student medical records and immunization requirements. The Illinois Department of Public Health requires a number of immunizations and exams before students can attend school. While many of our families have already submitted the necessary documentation, we want to remind everyone that in accordance with state regulations, students without updated medical records on file or an appointment for immunization will be excluded from school.

Waukegan Community Unit School # 60 will host Parent-Teacher Conferences on Wednesday, October 23, and Thursday, October 24. Parent-Teacher Conferences will be hosted from 4:30 p.m. to approximately 7:30 p.m. on both evenings. Parents should receive information about scheduling conference times from their child’s school.

The deadline for local organizations and individuals to submit proposals for District 60’s African American Male Achievement Initiative (AAMAI) RFP has been extended to Friday, October 25.

On October 15, 2024, the Student Achievement and Operation Services Committee meetings will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the Lincoln Center Board Room, 1201 N. Sheridan Road. No formal Board action will be taken during the meetings.

Later this month Waukegan High School students will be receiving their first quarter report cards. As parents review those grades we want to remind you that this past spring our District passed a new policy regarding the elimination of class rank. Beginning with the Class of 2026, class rank will no longer be calculated. In its place, we have adopted a Cum Laude honors system to recognize academic excellence.

Waukegan Public Schools will host two special Parent University events in October aimed at empowering parents and guardians of elementary students with tools to support their children's education journey.

A virtual community meeting to discuss potential changes to the District’s grading policy will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, October 10 via Zoom. Participants may join the discussion through this link.

Our District's Parent-Teacher Advisory Committee (PTAC) will host its first meeting of the school year this Thursday, October 10 in the Bradbury room of the Waukegan Public Library, 128 N County Street. The meeting can also be joined remotely on Zoom. PTAC works throughout the school year to address the areas of behavior and discipline to ensure fair and equitable support for all Waukegan Public Schools’ students and their families.

Waukegan Community Unit School District #60 is pleased to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for support services aimed at African American male students. Eligible organizations and individuals are encouraged to complete the document request form, which will allow the District to provide all interested parties with the relevant documents. You can access the form here.

Tickets are now on sale for the Waukegan High School and Waukegan Association of Music Partners’ (AMP) annual Pasta & Pops dinner.

District 60’s K-8 theater program, the Waukegan Performing Arts Company (WAUK-PAC) is holding auditions for its next production, Frozen, next week. Auditions will be held at Cooke Magnet School, 522 Belvidere Road, on Thursday, August 22 from 5 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. All K-8 students are welcome to audition.

Waukegan Community Unit School District # 60 schools are again participating in Professional Learning Days this school year. These days will allow for additional professional development opportunities for staff members and will result in altered bell schedules on these days.

Last week our Board of Education voted to approve updates to two important policies that impact students academically. The most significant policy is the re-introduction of our promotion/ retention policy, which affects how students move from grade to grade each year, based on academic performance. Below are more details on this policy, as well as more minor changes to our grading policy. Please take a moment to read up on these changes, and be on the lookout for more information on these policies in the near future.

District 60’s K-8 theater program, the Waukegan Performing Arts Company (WAUK-PAC) is holding auditions for its next production, Seusseical Jr. next month. Auditions will be held at Cooke Magnet School, 522 Belvidere Road, on Thursday, May 16, from 5 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. All K-8 students are welcome to audition.

Parents new to District 60 looking to enroll their children in kindergarten for the 2024/25 school year still have time to reserve a time slot to complete the registration process during one of our upcoming New Kindergarten Registration events.

A Special Closed Session Meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Tuesday, November 21, 2023, for the purpose of discussing negotiations and litigation. The meeting will be in Closed Session beginning at 6 p.m. in Room 120 at Lincoln Center, 1201 N. Sheridan Road. No official Board action will be taken at this meeting. The meeting will precede the Board's regular monthly committee meetings. On November 21, 2023, the regularly-scheduled Student Achievement and Operation Services Committee meetings will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Lincoln Center Board Room.

Waukegan Public Schools is excited to announce we will soon be rolling out a new facility scheduling and work order software. Later this summer FMX will officially replace SchoolDude. Our district-wide launch will take place in August.