About District 36
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Location and Schools • District 36 is located in Cook County Illinois in the village of Winnetka, 40 minutes north of Chicago. • Currently the district serves over 2087 kindergarten through eighth garde children. o three elementary schools (Crow Island, Greeley and Hubbard Woods) o one fifth/sixth grade center (The Skokie School) o one middle school for grades seven and eight (Carleton Washburne • Winnetka schools go through 8th grade after which students attend New Trier Township High School where 96% go on to college. Progressive Education • Winnetka schools have a long tradition of leadership in progressive public education. • Throughout its history, the District’s commitment to the consideration of the individual needs of the whole child and to the mastery of academic skills has never wavered. • That commitment to educational excellence is grounded in a firm belief in individualized education and relies upon the active involvement of teachers and parents in the educational process. Administration • Central Office is staffed with a Superintendent, a Business Manager, Director of Pupil Services, and a Curriculum Coordinator. • Each elementary building has a principal. Washburne and Skokie each have an assistant principal. Professional Staff • Over eighty-four percent of the 223 member professional staff hold advanced degrees and average nearly eleven years of teaching experience. • One hundred two teacher associates support the instructional program. Special Education • Services are provided through both the District and the Northern Suburban Special Education District, which is comprised of nineteen school districts. • Individual students are served through a learning disabilities program, reading improvement programs, social workers, and speech therapists. Dedication to developmental and integrated learning is evidenced by programs that develop a wide range of interests. • In the elementary schools, children may start the Suzuki string program in kindergarten or join the orchestra in fifth grade. • Spanish and technology are integrated into the regular curriculum beginning in the first grade. • Fifth and sixth graders are assigned to a two-teacher-core program. • Seventh and eighth graders are taught English, social studies, math, and science classes by teams of four teachers. • Students also devote one period to second language and/or three twelve-week blocks of elective classes. • All students are assigned to an advisor who monitors their academic and social progress, provides guidance for improving study skills, and arranges additional parent conferences when necessary. Community Support • Strong financial support of education by Winnetka residents dates back to 1859 when the first public school building was financed by private funds. • In 1917, having reached the limit of its bonding power, the community responded generously to volunteers in a door-to-door fundraising campaign to build a new junior high school. • Extensive parental involvement in school programs, PTO activities and as volunteers in the classrooms has assisted the District in achieving its outstanding reputation. • Approximately ninety-five percent of the district’s annual operating expense per-pupil is derived from local sources. • Furthermore, the community has funded the Winnetka Public Schools Foundation which raises money annually to support school programs. |