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Wilmette School District 39 board meeting, Aug 24, 2026

43 min · 4 public speakers

AI in schools ▶ 15:10

This board doesn’t post agenda times. Click a board member to jump to where they first speak; we list only members whose voice our check named. Video length 43 min.

  1. Who spoke · first speaks at
  5. Anne HartPresident
What happened

What happened at this meeting

Wilmette District 39 board approves consent agenda including notices for September 28 budget hearings 38:02

  • Speakers at public comment raised pay and insurance costs for support staff in contract negotiations and asked for daily collaboration time for kindergarten paraprofessionals. 7:06
  • Amy Poehling reported that the budget approval was moved to September because the district went from July 16th to July 26th without functioning financial software. 18:53
  • The board approved a consent agenda that included a personnel report, notices of public hearings on the District 39 and Wilmette Community Special Education Agreement budgets, a first reading of student policies and bills. 38:02
Item by item (10)
  1. Opening, pledge and minutes 0:01
    • Students from the summer program led the Pledge of Allegiance after a staff member described summer classes including math intervention, reading intervention, cooking and rocketry. 0:42
    • Anne Hart sought a motion to approve the minutes of the June 15th, 2026 regular and executive session meetings. 5:58
    • Anne Hart announced that the motion carried. 6:37
  2. Public comment 6:37
    • A speaker said the average support staff salary is $36,000, that 75% of members earn less than $25 an hour and that offered increases are capped at 4%. 8:04
    • Another speaker read a letter from kindergarten teachers supporting 20 minutes of daily collaboration time for kindergarten paraprofessionals. 10:53
    • Another speaker asked for a task force on technology and for more transparency about AI embedded in Google Classroom tools. 15:10
  3. Committee reports 18:10
    • A staff member reported that work on the WJHS window replacement project was expected to be done by September and would not affect the start of school. 18:29
    • Amy Poehling said the budgets would be reviewed at the September 14th Committee of the Whole meeting, with the public hearing and approval at the September 28th board meeting. 18:53
    • Anne Hart said the administrative team is refining key measures and goals to be shared at the September board meeting. 20:30
  4. Liaison and legislative reports 20:30
    • Judy Berlin said the Illinois North Cook Division of the Illinois Association of School Boards will hold a meeting on October 7th on preparing students to thrive in an AI world. 21:11
    • Judy Berlin said federal funding cuts do not directly impact District 39 at this time. 22:00
  5. Administrator report and communications 22:18
    • A district administrator reported that students returned to school last Wednesday and that the district is off to a great start. 22:47
    • The administrator said the district remains eager to reengage in negotiations with the support staff union and to reach an agreement. 26:32
    • The administrator listed Freedom of Information Act requests received, including one for technology expenses for the last 5 fiscal years. 27:20
  6. Response to community review committee report 28:20
    • A staff member presented a response to the Community Review Committee report titled Supporting Educator Well-Being. 28:26
    • The staff member said 8 recommended measures will be embedded into the goals and actions of Priority 3 of the new strategic plan. 29:28
  7. Annual business reports 31:18
    • A staff member said there have been no changes to the enrollment plan since May and the district is well staffed for the start of the school year. 31:29
    • A speaker said the annual tax compliance review was completed and the district is in compliance. 32:34
    • A speaker said the board would be asked to approve public hearings on both budgets at the September regular meeting. 33:19
  8. Board policy review 33:43
    • A staff member said the first reading includes Section 7 student policies updated through March and June updates. 33:49
    • Anne Hart asked how insurance works for student athletes, and a speaker said the co-op does not carry student health insurance and a parent or guardian's insurance would cover an injury. 34:43
  9. Consent agenda 37:10
    • Allyson Paflas moved to approve the personnel report, notices of public hearings on the District 39 and Wilmette Community Special Education Agreement budgets on September 28th, 2026, and a first reading of Section 7 policies. 38:02
    • The motion also covered accounts payable totaling $2,434,099.34 and manual checks totaling $6,122,627.15. 38:02
    • Anne Hart announced that the consent agenda was approved. 41:51
  10. Closing and executive session 41:51
    • Anne Hart sought a motion to adjourn to executive session to discuss specific personnel, special education, individual student matters and collective negotiations. 42:22
    • Anne Hart announced that the motion carried and the board adjourned to executive session. 43:11

Written by software from the meeting's transcript and checked sentence by sentence against it.

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Video: posted by the district as “Wilmette Public Schools District 39 Board of Education Meeting August 24, 2026”