Lake County Gazette

North Shore School District 112 held its organizational and regular Board of Education meetings on Tuesday, April 22, at Northwood Middle School. A fully translated Spanish version of the meeting will be posted within the next few days.

During the Organizational Meeting, newly elected Board members Lori Fink and Jaret Fishman, along with re-elected members Art Kessler and Bennett Lasko, were sworn in for their four-year terms. The Board elected new officers: Art Kessler as president, Melissa Itkin as vice president, and Jenny Butler as secretary. Each will serve a two-year term in their respective roles. The Board also approved the regular meeting schedule for the 2025–2026 school year and recognized outgoing members Alex Brunk and Dan Jenks for their service to the district.

In the Regular Meeting, the Board honored Oak Terrace student Rowan Nye for earning second place at the 2025 Illinois K-8 State Chess Championship and 18 students recognized at the Character Counts Awards Ceremony for exemplifying the program’s six pillars of character: caring, citizenship, fairness, respect, responsibility, and trustworthiness.

In his superintendent report, Dr. Mike Lubelfeld reflected on recent events including the groundbreaking ceremony for the geothermal project at Ravinia Elementary School (@2:33). He also recognized military-connected students in honor of the Month of the Military Child and shared highlights from a recent trip to the Dominican Republic involving 62 eighth-graders from both middle schools. Additionally, he reminded the community about the Art in Bloom Kickoff event at Indian Trail on Saturday, April 26.

Wayne Thomas Principal Arielle Gleicher and Associate Principal Jaclyn Wagner, along with teachers, staff members, and students presented to the Board about their Month of the Military Child celebrations taking place throughout April. They shared how their school is fostering an inclusive environment by honoring diverse cultural backgrounds. President Kessler remarked, “Thank you so much for coming today and sharing with us the joy that is Wayne Thomas” (@22:22).

Jeremy Davis, assistant superintendent for business services provided an update on the food services Request for Proposal (RFP) process currently in progress (@53:15). This RFP is part of a plan to expand food service offerings to Edgewood and Ravinia beginning in the 2025-2026 school year with plans to provide food services at all district schools by 2027. Mr. Davis anticipates bringing a recommendation for approval to the Board at its next regular meeting in May.

The Board approved several motions including:

- Adoption of new curricular resources for middle school math (@1:21:47)

- Adoption of new curricular resources for Postsecondary and Career Exploration course (@1:23:23)

- Contract renewal with AlphaBEST for before- and after-school care (@1:28:33)

- Contract renewal with ABM for custodial services (@1:36:38)

- Agreement with Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education (@1:37:46)

Future meeting dates are scheduled as follows:

- May 13: Special Meeting (Livestream Available)

- May 20: Regular Meeting (Livestream Available)

For more information about the Board of Education or to contact them, visit their website or email boardmembers@nssd112.org.