District 60’s K-8 theater program, the Waukegan Performing Arts Company (Wauk-PAC), will debut its summer production, Annie Jr., next week. More than 50 Waukegan students representing eight elementary and five middle schools make up the cast and crew of Annie Jr. Performances will be held on Friday, June 26 at 7 p.m., and Saturday, June 27 at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. at Cooke Magnet Elementary, 522 Belvidere Road.

Waukegan Public Schools is excited to invite you to our annual Back-to-School Resource Fair on Saturday, July 25, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., at McCall Elementary School and Bevier Park. This year's event will be our largest Back-to-School Resource Fair yet, bringing together families, community organizations, and District partners to help students start the new school year ready to learn and succeed.

PLEASE NOTE THE DATE CHANGED FOR THE MEETING PREVIOUSLY SCHEDULED ON JUNE 16 A Special Meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Wednesday, June 17, beginning at 5:45 p.m. Budget Workshop #2 for the Board of Education will be held on Thursday, June 18, at 6 p.m. Immediately following the Budget Workshop, a Special Meeting with Open and Closed Session of the Board of Education will be held.

Please be advised that the regular meeting of the Board of Education previously scheduled for Tuesday, June 23, 2026, has been rescheduled to Monday, June 22, 2026. This date change applies only to this meeting. All other regularly scheduled Board of Education meetings will remain on their published dates unless otherwise noticed.

At Tuesday night’s meeting, the District 60 Board approved four principal appointments for the 2026-2027 school year. We are excited to welcome a strong group of leaders who bring experience, dedication, and a student-centered approach to their new roles.

Every school in Waukegan Community Unit School District #60 was recently recognized by the Midwest Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Network for implementation efforts during the 2025-26 school year. Waukegan schools were among more than 140 schools statewide recognized for PBIS implementation by Midwest PBIS, which annually honors schools for their implementation efforts. PBIS is a multi-tiered framework that helps schools promote positive student behavior and social-emotional growth.

On June 9, 2026, the Board of Education will meet for its regular monthly micro meeting. The meeting will be conducted in open and closed sessions beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Educational Service Center, 214 Washington Street. The open session will be held in the Board Room. The closed session will be in Room 112. The Board’s monthly Student Achievement and Operations Services committee meetings will follow the micro meeting at approximately 7 p.m. in the Board Room.

A Special Session Board Meeting to conduct individual interviews with the finalists for the Student Board Member positions, and to discuss specific personnel matters, will be held on Monday, June 1, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at the Educational Service Center, 214 Washington Street, Waukegan. This meeting will be held in Closed Session in Room 112. A brief open session with public comment will precede the closed session in the Board Room. No official Board action will be taken at this meeting. Closed session exceptions: 120/2(c)(3), (c)(10) and (c)(1).

Waukegan Public Schools’ annual Summer Meals Program will begin the week of June 1 at six school sites across the District. Through this program, all Waukegan children, including those not enrolled in the District's summer programs, are eligible to receive free breakfast and lunch.

A regular meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at 7 p.m. for Open Session, and 6 p.m. for Closed Session. The meeting will be conducted in person in the Educational Service Center Board Room, 214 Washington Street. Closed Session will occur in Room 112.

As we head into summer, we encourage students to keep learning in simple ways, whether that’s reading, exploring new interests, or just staying curious about the world around them. Even small moments of learning can make a big difference. Students also have access to online learning tools through their Clever accounts, which can help them stay engaged and build on what they’ve learned this year.

As we come to the close of another school year, I want to take a moment to thank each of you for the heart you have brought to our schools each day. It takes all of us, staff, families, and students, to make a school year successful, and I am grateful for the role each of you has played in supporting our students along the way.

Waukegan Public Schools will host the final session of the Academia 60 Parent Education Series today. This session is designed to provide helpful information and resources to support your child’s success. We hope you can join us. Childcare and interpretation services will be available, and families may attend either in person or virtually.

Waukegan Community Unit School District #60 honored 43 employees, with a combined total of more than 1,025 years of service, at the annual Board of Education Retirement and Recognition Dinner held last week. The event recognized the dedication and contributions of District 60 employees who will retire at the end of the 2025-2026 school year. The ceremony celebrated the careers and lasting impact of educators and staff who have served Waukegan Public Schools, its students, and families over many years.

Earlier this week, our Board of Education hosted the first of three budget workshops, where staff discussed the factors that go into the annual budget development process ahead of final adoption in September. During the session, the District’s finance department provided an overview of the proposed Fiscal Year 2026-2027 budget, including student enrollment, staffing, revenue, expenditures, and the overall financial outlook.

Waukegan High School will celebrate its 153rd commencement ceremony on Friday, May 15 at 5:30 p.m. at Weiss Field, with more than 950 graduates expected to take part. Gates will open at 4 p.m., and each graduate will receive four tickets for the ceremony. The event will also be streamed live on the District’s YouTube channel. In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be rescheduled for Saturday, May 16 at 1 p.m.

On May 12, 2026, the Board of Education will meet for its regular monthly micro meeting. The meeting will be conducted in open and closed sessions beginning at 6 p.m. at the Educational Service Center, 214 Washington Street. The Board’s monthly Student Achievement and Operations Services committee meetings will follow the micro meeting at approximately 7 p.m. in the Board Room. Budget Workshop #1 for the Board of Education will be held on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, at 6 p.m.

As we wind down the school year, our commitment to supporting families continues. Waukegan Public Schools invites you to join us for the final sessions of the Academia 60 Parent Education Series, designed to provide helpful information and resources to support your child’s success. We hope you can join us for one or more of the following sessions. Childcare and interpretation services will be available at each event, and families may attend either in person or virtually.

Waukegan Public Schools will be launching new District and school websites, along with a new communication system designed to make it easier for you to stay informed and connected. As part of this transition, we will introduce a new two-way messaging tool called Rooms. Additionally, the District will be transitioning to a new Board of Education platform called Community, as Diligent (the provider of BoardDocs) moves districts to this updated system.

Waukegan Public Schools invites families to join us for our annual Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Festival this Thursday, May 7, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Jack Benny Middle School (1401 Montesano Avenue). This year’s celebration will feature an Asian Night Market theme, with food, games, and activities for the whole family.

A Special Meeting with Closed and Open Session of the Board of Education will be held on Thursday, May 7 , 2026, at 7:00 p.m. in Room 112 at the Educational Service Center. Pursuant to 5 ILCS 120/2 (c) (1), the discussion will be held in Closed Session. The subject will be specific personnel matters. The meeting will begin in open session in the Board Room and then move to closed session in Room 112. The meeting will adjourn from Room 112. No action will be taken during the open session.

Waukegan High School’s music program has once again solidified its place among the top programs in Illinois. This season, students across band, choir, and orchestra combined for a 3rd place finish in the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Class AA.

At its meeting this week, the Board of Education took an initial step in a countywide process related to a potential school facilities sales tax. The Board approved a resolution that may allow a question to be placed on the November 2026 ballot asking Lake County voters whether to approve a 1% sales tax dedicated to school facility improvements. It is important to note that this action alone does not place the question on the ballot. For this to move forward, school districts representing more than 50% of the total student enrollment in Lake County must also take similar action.

Waukegan Community Unit School District #60’s annual Elementary Art Show is now open at the Belvidere Mall, 2107 Belvidere Road, and will be on display through May 8. This year’s exhibit features more than 250 pieces created by students across Waukegan Public Schools’ elementary buildings.

District 60’s K-8 theater program, the Waukegan Performing Arts Company (WAUK-PAC), is holding auditions for its SUMMER production of Annie Jr. Auditions will take place on Thursday, May 7, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Cooke Magnet School, 522 Belvidere Road. All Waukegan Public Schools students currently in grades K–8 are welcome to audition.

The Waukegan High School Music Department invites the community to enjoy a week of live performances during its Spring Concert Series. Join us for four nights of music featuring our talented student musicians. All concerts will take place at 7 p.m. in the Trapp Auditorium at the WHS Brookside Campus and are free and open to the public.

A regular meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at 7 p.m. for Open Session, and 6 p.m. for Closed Session. The meeting will be conducted in person in the Educational Service Center Board Room, 214 Washington Street. Closed Session will occur in Room 112. A Special Meeting with Closed and Open Session of the Board of Education will be held on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in Room 112 at the Educational Service Center.

Waukegan Public Schools’ Family and Community Engagement Department invites families to its annual Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Festival. Join us on Thursday, May 7, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Jack Benny Middle School, 1401 Montesano Avenue, for an evening celebrating Asian-American culture and community. The theme of this year’s celebration is an Asian Night Market, with food and games.

Waukegan Public Schools will host its final Kindergarten Registration event on Saturday, April 25, at John R. Lewis Middle School, 600 S. Lewis Avenue, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. This event is open to families with children who will turn 5 on or before September 1, are entering kindergarten for the 2026-2027 school year, and are not currently enrolled in the District’s EPIC pre-k program.

Waukegan High School presents this year’s spring play, a thrilling, 1930s detective-style adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher. Performances will be held in the Trapp Auditorium at WHS-Brookside on April 23, 24, and 25 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $8–$10 and are available at the bookstores and online.

The Board of Education for Waukegan Public Schools will meet in a Special Meeting on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, at 6:00 pm at the Educational Service Center, 214 Washington Street. The meeting will begin in open session in the Board Room with a special presentation regarding the proposed sales tax increase. The Board will then move into closed session in Room 112 to discuss personnel matters. No official Board action will be taken at this meeting.

A regular meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at 7 p.m. for Open Session, and 6 p.m. for Closed Session. The meeting will be conducted in person in the Educational Service Center Board Room, 214 Washington Street. Closed Session will occur in Room 112. Note: This meeting is on the third Tuesday instead of the fourth Tuesday, due to Spring Break.

A special workshop meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at 6 p.m. for Open Session. The meeting will be conducted in the Educational Service Center Board Room, 214 Washington Street. The subject will be a review of employee separation procedures.

The Board of Education approved school calendars for the next three academic years during its meeting last night. Sharing multiple years in advance helps families and staff plan ahead, and we appreciate everyone who contributed feedback throughout this process. The calendars include a few adjustments, such as slightly later start dates. As in recent years, Waukegan High School will continue to hold first-semester final exams prior to Winter Break. Linked below are the calendars for the 2026-2027, 2027-2028, and 2028-2029 school years.