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.

A regular meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Tuesday, October 8, 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.

District 60 will be hosting an online informational presentation for Diverse Learner families to help train parents on a variety of skills and techniques that will allow them to more effectively advocate for their child.

As part of District 60’s continued commitment to preventing bullying and recognizing National Bullying Prevention Month, Waukegan Public Schools students and staff will once again participate in a series of anti-bullying activities and lessons throughout October.

We’re thrilled to provide an update on our District’s African American Male Achievement Initiative (AAMAI), a key pillar in our ongoing dedication to promoting equity and inclusion. Over the last 12 months, we have engaged deeply with our African American male students to better understand their experiences and the challenges they face. Through focus groups and collaboration with our AAMAI Taskforce, we have solicited valuable student voices to shape this initiative and our district's equity efforts.

Waukegan Public Schools' Teaching and Learning Department will host two additional community meetings to discuss potential changes to the District’s grading policy.

Waukegan Public Schools is seeking parents to join its Parent-Teacher Advisory Committee (PTAC). 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.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the YouTube Live event yesterday, where we discussed Waukegan Public Schools' new promotion and retention policy. We appreciate your time and participation in this important conversation.

Waukegan Public Schools will host its annual Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration on Thursday, October 3. The theme of this year’s celebration of Hispanic history and culture is “Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together.” The gala event will take place at the Genesee Theatre, 203 N Genesee Street, beginning at 5 p.m.

Waukegan High School was recently recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation as a K-12 Tree Campus. This recognition highlights a school’s commitment to promoting environmental sustainability and fostering a connection between students and nature through tree-related education and stewardship.

A regular meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Tuesday, September 24, 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.

I am writing today with an important message about an incident that occurred in one of our elementary schools this week. A staff member used derogatory terms that are unacceptable while talking with students about the harmful impact of racial slurs, after an alleged offensive comment was reported to have been made in the classroom. As Superintendent, and a mother, I am offended and hurt to hear that this language was used. These words do not reflect the values of our staff, our school district, or the Waukegan community.

Waukegan Public Schools' Teaching and Learning Department will host a series of community town hall meetings to discuss potential changes to the District’s grading policy, particularly regarding grading scales.

District 60’s Family and Community Engagement (FACE) department is hosting an informational Parent University presentation later this month aimed at helping parents better the physical health of their children.

Hispanic Heritage Month begins today, and District 60 is excited to begin its annual month-long celebration of Hispanic history and culture. Throughout the month our schools will immerse students in Hispanic history and culture, through various events, activities, and lessons.

A Special Session Meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, to discuss student discipline matters - 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(9). The meeting will be in Closed Session beginning at 6 p.m. in Room 120 at Lincoln Center, 1201 N. Sheridan Road. Public comment will precede the closed session in Room 120. An open session will be brief, beginning at 6:55 p.m. in the Board Room. The meetings will precede the Board's regular monthly committee meetings.

District 60’s Diverse Learners Department will host its first Parent to Parent Special Education Network support group on Thursday, September 26 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Welcome Center, 742 W. Greenwood Avenue.

Yesterday our Board of Education voted to approve an agreement with the City of Waukegan to return a School Resource Officer (SRO) to our high school campuses. SROs are law enforcement officers, with specific training in working with children and youth, specifically assigned to help maintain safety and foster positive relationships within our school community.

Waukegan Public Schools invites parents and guardians to a special YouTube Live event on Wednesday, September 25, at 6 p.m. to learn about the District’s new promotion and retention policy. This event is designed to provide detailed information about the policy and answer any questions parents may have regarding how it may affect their child.

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

A regular meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Tuesday, September 10, 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.

Waukegan High School’s homecoming week runs from September 9 to September 14. Below is a full list of home varsity sports contests, spirit week celebrations and homecoming events perfect for showing off your Bulldog pride. This year’s Homecoming Week theme is “Mystery Masquerade”

Waukegan Public Schools will host its annual Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration on Thursday, October 3. The theme of this year’s celebration of Hispanic history and culture is: “Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together.” The event will take place at the Genesee Theatre, 203 N Genesee Street, beginning at 5 p.m.

As we settle into the new school year, we want to remind everyone of our District's commitment to maintaining a safe environment for all students and staff. With the school year now underway, it's essential to revisit a vital safety policy related to weapons on campus.

Since summer, our District’s Wraparound Center has been open to provide essential resources for families in need of additional support. The Wraparound Center serves as a one-stop location where students, families, and residents can access therapeutic services and resources from community agencies. The Wraparound Center operates out of the lower level of 214 Washington Street in downtown Waukegan.

We’d like to remind our District’s families that they have access to Sodexo’s Nutrislice, which allows them to browse their school’s daily lunch menus, access nutrition facts, plan for dietary restrictions and allergies and more.

Waukegan Public Schools’ Department of Equity and Inclusion is seeking applicants to join the District’s Equity Advisory Council for the 2024-2025 school year. Interested parents, staff, or community members can apply now.

District 60 will be hosting an online presentation designed to help Diverse Learner families better familiarize themselves with their child’s Individualized Education Program. The presenters, from the Family Resource Center on Disabilities, are parents of children with IEPs and will share personal insights and experiences with families.

The National Weather Service has issued various heat advisories for our area in effect for much of Monday (August 26) and Tuesday (August 27) of this week. In anticipation of these rising temperatures, we are taking extra precautions to help keep students and staff safe. Below are some steps we are taking, as well as things families can do to help keep students cool.

A regular meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Tuesday, August 27, 2024, at 7 p.m. for Open Session, and 5:30 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.

Nominating petition packets for the April 1, 2025, consolidated election for the Waukegan Community Unit School District #60 Board of Education are available through the Office of the County Clerk.

This year, Waukegan CUSD #60 will be implementing its district-wide promotion/retention policy to ensure all students are making appropriate grade-level progress throughout their educational careers.

Miguel Juarez Middle School in Waukegan has been honored as a School of Distinction by the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) for its outstanding efforts in implementing best practices as part of the school’s growth initiatives, and for transforming school culture and climate.

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.