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Strategic Plan Goal 3 – Progress Update

Community Consolidated School District 59 (CCSD59) believes students do best when families, schools, and communities work together. That’s why Goal 3 of our Strategic Plan, Family and Community Partnerships, is so important. We’ve made exciting progress in building stronger relationships between our schools and the people we serve.

Supporting Families in Meaningful Ways

We want every family to feel welcomed, supported, and informed. To help with this, CCSD59 launched a free Parent Education Series with help from the District 59 Education Foundation. These sessions cover a variety of topics and give families helpful tips and tools to support their children at home and in school.

In addition to education, we care about meeting urgent family needs. That’s why we started the CCSD59 Empowerment Fund in 2019, which helps provide families with things like food, clothing, or medical help when other support isn’t available. This fund is made possible through generous donations from the District 59 Education Foundation and our community.

“The District 59 Education Foundation is a great partner to our district to help further build strong communities. We’re proud to work so closely with them to support our efforts in empowering families and creating opportunities for every student to thrive,” said Ben Grey, Assistant Superintendent of Technology and Innovation and the liaison to the Ed Foundation.

Supporting our youngest learners and their caregivers has been another important focus within Goal 3. Growing programs like Early Learning Center (ELC), Family University, and Play ‘n Learn offer fun, hands-on sessions that help prepare children for school and help families build strong connections between home and classroom.

Clear and open communication continues to be a priority. CCSD59 shared important information, like school report cards and assessment results, through Board of Education updates and community-friendly messages. Our Bilingual Parent Advisory Council (BPAC) grew to include all district families, and new events brought people together to connect and learn.

Of course, we also made time to celebrate! Events like literacy and math nights, Back to School Night, and the Fall Festival brought families into our schools and helped build a strong sense of belonging and community.

Working Together with Community Partners

Our partnerships with local groups and organizations grew stronger than ever. Together, we:

• Made our Back to School resource fairs even bigger, helping families access healthcare, school supplies, and community information all in one place.
• Added health services like flu shots and physicals to our Fall Festival.
• Partnered with Northwest Compass to deliver food to families at several of our schools
• Expanded Teen REACH with the Kenneth Young Center to give junior high students more after-school options.
• Worked with Elk Grove Township to strengthen Social Emotional Learning (SEL) for newcomer junior high students 
• Helped Elite Soccer offer additional free after-school programs to our youngest students.
• Partnered with Greater Family Health to make school physicals easier.
• Continued family outreach with help from the Good Neighbors Network.

We also strengthened our connections with local leaders and safety teams. CCSD59 was invited to join village planning meetings in Arlington Heights and Des Plaines, making sure education has a voice in community conversations. Additionally, our partnership with local first responders and the School Resource Officer (SRO) program grew, helping build trust and keep our schools safe.

We’re also helping students imagine their futures. Programs like AVID and partnerships with local colleges are helping them explore different careers and education paths. We also began a new partnership with District 214, the University of Illinois, and the Metro-Chicago Mathematics Initiative (MCMI) to help create a strong math program from kindergarten through high school and beyond.

Listening, Learning, and Communicating Better

CCSD59 also spent time listening. We worked with the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) to do a full review of our communication efforts. This included having surveys and focus groups with staff and families to learn what’s working well and where we can improve. The feedback will help shape a new Strategic Communications Plan focused on trust, transparency, listening, and accessible communication.

Superintendent Terri Bresnahan shares: “Goal 3 is really about people and making sure our families feel welcome, our students feel seen, and our schools stay connected to the communities around them. I’m proud of how far we’ve come and excited about what we’ll keep building together.”

Moving Forward Together

The work under Goal 3 focuses on creating a lasting impact and building community support for public education, students, and staff. It’s about forming relationships that create trust, support every student’s journey, and strengthen our connections across our communities.