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Strategic Plan Goal 4 – Progress Update

At Community Consolidated School District 59 (CCSD59), we know that how we use our resources – our people, funding, and time – has a direct impact on student success. That’s why Goal 4 of our Strategic Plan focuses on Stewardship of Resources. This means making sure all students have fair opportunities, supporting a strong team of educators and staff, and being open and responsible with how we manage money.

Building Equity Across Our Schools

Over the past few years, we’ve taken a closer look at how we serve students throughout the district. To guide this work, we partnered with third-party experts to conduct in-depth equity audits, a review of our Dual Language programs, and an enrollment boundary study. These evaluations surfaced both strengths to build on and areas needing attention.

The audits examined enrollment patterns, transportation logistics, attendance trends, daily schedules, dual language instruction, and the use of learning spaces, and specialized programs.

This work led to some important changes:

• Junior high schedules were updated to give all students consistent courses, including weekly lessons on social and emotional learning.
• Elementary schedules are now reviewed each year to keep things consistent across schools.
• Dual language programs have been improved by using high-quality, meaningful curriculum and providing staff with training focused on biliteracy. A clear plan is also being developed to track student growth in both academic subjects and language skills.

Staffing is a big part of equity. Based on what we learned, we made sure to:

• Place staff where they’re most needed.
• Hire fully licensed staff and continually support them in their roles.
• Elimination of multi-grade classrooms.
• Track class sizes and programs more closely and on a regular basis.

Beyond the typical annual staffing increases made to address changing student enrollment, we have added 94 full-time positions since the 2021–2022 school year to support the goals outlined in our strategic plan. These roles were created to help meet the needs of all students, including early learners, English learners, students needing extra academic support, and those needing social-emotional support.

Some of these new positions include:

• Bilingual and Dual Language Teachers
• Early Childhood Teachers and Teaching Assistants
• ESL Resource and Newcomer Teachers
• Special Education Teachers
• Community Outreach Specialists
• Director of School Safety and Security
• Literacy and Math Interventionists

These additions help us better support the different needs of our school communities so all students can succeed.

Supporting a High-Quality Workforce

Great schools start with great people. CCSD59 is proud to attract strong educators and staff, but like many districts across the country, we’ve faced challenges with staffing since the pandemic. To respond, we’ve taken steps to build and support our team, including:

• Reorganizing our Human Resources department and creating a new leadership role focused on hiring, onboarding, and development.
• Re-envisioning orientation and mentoring programs for new staff, and adding similar support for classified staff.
• Working with local universities to support and prepare future teachers through hands-on experiences in our schools. 
• Attending more job fairs, increasing professional learning options, and offering more ways for staff to grow their careers within the district.

We’re also focused on helping staff feel supported and valued. Feedback from staff and exit surveys has guided improvements, ensuring their voices shape our next steps. Our strong partnership with union leadership has led to new bargaining agreements that include better pay and benefits for all staff. Together, these efforts have contributed to high retention rates and a stronger team across the district.

“Great schools start with great people,” said Ross Vittore, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources. “We’re committed to creating an environment where our staff feel supported, valued, and inspired to grow their careers right here in our district.”

Managing Financial Resources Responsibly

Being good stewards of public funds means handling money with care and transparency. Our budget planning is a team effort focused on long-term stability and responsible use of resources. We keep a strong fund balance that exceeds board policy, and projects are regularly finished on time and within budget. We’ve improved our return on investments to make sure we’re getting the most value from every dollar spent.

Our smart financial practices have received special recognition, including:

• A perfect 4.0 financial recognition rating from the Illinois State Board of Education
• The Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Association of School Business Officials (ASBO)
• The Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA)

These honors are proof of our commitment to fiscal responsibility and accountability.

We are also improving our learning spaces through careful facility investments. Brentwood Elementary is undergoing an expansion to include a new addition and updated kindergarten classrooms, set to open for the 2025–2026 school year. These improvements will accommodate enrollment growth and upgraded spaces for our youngest learners. Meanwhile, mobile classrooms at John Jay, Robert Frost, and Clearmont Elementaries provide flexible, well-equipped learning spaces as we continue planning for long-term facility needs.

 Looking Ahead

“Every decision we make comes back to one simple question: How does this help our students succeed? Stewardship means using our resources in ways that create real, lasting impact across all our schools. I’m proud of the progress we’ve made, and I’m excited for what lies ahead.” Reflected Superintendent Terri Bresnahan.

That commitment continues to shape our work. As we look to the future, we remain dedicated to thoughtful planning, responsible use of resources, and decisions that deliver meaningful results for students.