Frequently Asked Questions: 2026-27 Enrollment & Staffing Plan
This FAQ provides an overview of the district’s enrollment projections and the planned staffing adjustments for the upcoming 2026-27 school year, as presented on March 18, 2026.
Updated 3/31/26
STAFF RETENTION
Are any staff members being laid off?
No. While the plan calls for several positions to be reduced or eliminated, the district has confirmed that all individuals currently in those positions would have a job within the district next year. Reductions would be managed by offering staff members positions that are open through attrition (offering existing staff positions that will be vacated by retirements or resignations).
STAFFING PLAN ADJUSTMENTS
Why would the staffing plan be adjusted?
Regular review of staffing is best practice to ensure that staffing matches the needs of students and instruction. Through the review process, we assessed positions, considering how the position impacts our learners.
In late November, we learned of a decline in fund balance projections. This decline is primarily due to rising costs in insurance (17% increase in health insurance for FY27), transportation (4% increase for FY27), and special education (15% increase for FY 27). This information was presented at the January 28, 2026, Board of Education meeting. The staffing plan adjustments predict a savings of close to $700,000 in the 26-27 school year, and the savings are based on both reductions and additions. [5-Year Financial Projections]
What adjustments have been planned?
- The following reductions have been planned
- Teacher on Special Assignment (1)
- Student Services Facilitators (2)
- SEL (Social Emotional Learning) Instructional Coaches (2)
- Information Specialist (Reduction of 7 to 6)
- Data Coordinator (Reduction of 2 to 1)
- Classroom Teachers (2) due to enrollment changes
- Reading Assistants (Reduction of 24 to 10)
- Media Assistants (Reduction of 5 to 4)
- The following addition has been planned
- Addition of 4 Elementary School Assistant Principals
- The following position adjustment has been planned
- Transition of Early Childhood Center Coordinator to Early Childhood Center Principal
What is the timing of explaining these changes?
Prior to sharing the information at a Public Meeting, the information needed to be shared in individual and small group meetings with the staff members who would be directly impacted through a change in role. Those conversations happened over a two-week period, and then the information was shared publicly on March 18, 2026. While we understand the desire for transparency and expediency in sharing this information, many steps needed to be taken carefully and thoughtfully.
ENROLLMENT & TRENDS
What is the projected enrollment for the 2026-27 school year?
The district is projecting a total of 3,317 students. This is a decrease from the current 2025-26 enrollment of 3,407 students. Historically, enrollment has fluctuated between 3,400 and 3,550 students over the last six years. [Current and Projected Student Enrollment]
How do our district’s numbers compare to state and national trends?
Our local decline mirrors a broader downward trend in student populations seen both across Illinois and throughout the country. Driven largely by declining birth rates and shifting migration patterns, Illinois has seen a significant decrease in public school enrollment over the last decade, a challenge shared by many districts nationally as they adjust staffing to match these new enrollment realities.
CLASS SIZES & STAFFING CHANGES
Would class sizes increase because of these changes?
No. Staffing is planned to remain within the parameters set by the collective bargaining agreement. In fact, at K-2, the parameters are decreasing, as the parameter for those grade levels in 2025-26 is 24 students, and that parameter is decreasing to 23.
- K – 2nd Grade: Max 23 students
- 3rd and 4th Grade: Max 25 students
- 5th – 8th Grade: Max 30 students
THE ROLE OF ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS
What specific value would Assistant Principals bring to our elementary schools?
Like at GMS, Frederick, and Park, Elementary Assistant Principals would provide the “on-the-ground” support necessary for a high-functioning school.
- Student Support & Discipline: They would serve as an important point of contact for student disciplinary issues, including supporting students who are dysregulated, ensuring that behavioral matters are handled promptly and through a lens of social-emotional growth
- Instructional Leadership: They would play a critical role in improving instruction, including Social Emotional Learning (SEL) instruction, by working with Principals and Instructional Coaches to support professional development, providing more frequent feedback to staff, and conducting staff evaluations
- Special Education Advocacy: They would act as the Local Education Agency (LEA) representative at IEP (Individualized Education Program) meetings, ensuring that students with diverse learning needs receive the proper resources and legal protections. This work is currently done by Special Education Facilitators at the elementary schools, and is done by Assistant Principals at GMS, Frederick, and Park
- Safety and Operations: They would assist in managing daily operations and school safety protocols
SUMMARY OF POSITION REDUCTIONS
The following adjustments are planned:
- Certified Staff: Reduction of one Teacher on Special Assignment, two Student Services Facilitators, two SEL (Social Emotional Learning) Instructional Coaches, one Information Specialist, and two classroom teachers (due to enrollment)
- The Teacher on Special Assignment currently supports our new staff and mentor program. This support would continue through the Assistant Superintendent of Teaching & Learning, the Teaching & Learning Coordinator, and the Director of Human Resources
- The Student Services Facilitators support our IEP meetings at our K-4 buildings. This work would be completed by the new Assistant Principals, as currently occurs at GMS, Frederick, and Park
- The two SEL Instructional Coaches support our staff in the K-4 buildings. They have helped to develop robust class meetings which are facilitated by classroom teachers. Our Principals and Assistant Principals would continue to support this work. Please note that SEL Instructional Coaches were not hired to work directly with students and do not fulfill the Social Work role. There is no reduction in our Social Work staff
- The role of the Information Specialist has been to oversee the media center. At Frederick, there is currently a full-time Information Specialist and a half-time Media Center Assistant. At GMS, there is currently a full-time Information Specialist and no Media Assistant. In the staffing plan, an Information Specialist would be shared between Frederick and GMS, and the two schools would also share a Media Assistant. This would ensure that there is a professional there daily to support the students and staff who are using the media centers
- Support Staff (PSRP): Reading Assistant positions would be reduced from 24 to 10 across the district. Media Assistant positions would be reduced from 5 to 4 positions
- Reading Assistants
- Currently, 19 of the 24 Reading Assistant positions are filled
- The purpose of the Reading Assistant position is to support students who qualify for reading interventions, either for pull-out or push-in support. While assistants may currently support literacy instruction in the classroom, that is not their primary purpose
- Our current staffing includes 2-3 Reading Specialists plus 2-4 Reading Assistants per building. As we’ve seen over time, fewer students are qualifying for reading interventions, leading to this reduction in positions
- All schools would continue to have 2-3 Reading Specialists assigned to them. At the K-4 level, two Reading Assistants would also support intervention. At the 5-8 level, the 2-3 Reading Specialists would support intervention
- Within the proposed staffing plan of 16 Reading Specialists and 10 Reading Assistants, there will be abundant reading staff to service all of the students who qualify for Tier 3 Reading Support (students who fall below the 10th percentile on NWEA MAP Reading Assessment) and Tier 2 Reading Support (students who fall between the 11-25th percentile on MWEA MAP Reading Assessment)
- Students who receive Tier 3 intervention are seen 4-5 days a week for targeted intervention individually or in small groups. Districtwide, there are currently 129 students who qualify for Tier 3 Reading Intervention
- Students who receive Tier 2 intervention are seen 2-3 days a week for targeted intervention in small groups. Districtwide, there are currently 256 students who qualify for Tier 2 Reading Intervention
- Interventions are provided during identified intervention periods built into the school day
- Questions have been asked regarding support for students with IEPs. Please note that the reduction of Reading Assistants will not negatively impact students who have reading goals as a part of their IEPs
- Media Assistants
- Currently, all K-4 schools have a full-time Media Assistant, Frederick and Park each have a half-time Media Assistant, and GMS has not had a Media Assistant for many years
- Prairieview School, which also houses our Early Childhood Center (ECC), would continue to have a full-time Media Assistant to support both the Prairieview and ECC students
- All of the other schools, including GMS, would have a half-time Media Assistant
- Exempt:
- Reduction of one Data Coordinator position
CHANGES AND STUDENT SUPPORT
Student instruction and support remains of the utmost importance within our schools.
How would student needs relative to reading, social emotional learning (SEL), and media literacy continue to be met with these changes?
- Reading
- Students would continue to receive core reading instruction from their core content teachers. This includes support in both small and large group formats
- Depending on the grade level, students would continue to receive between 70-120 minutes of core literacy instruction
- In addition, all teachers support the daily 40 minute intervention period to provide reteaching and extension, including literacy
- Schools would continue to have 2-3 Reading Specialists assigned to them. At the K-4 level, two Reading Assistants would also support intervention. At the 5-8 level, the 2-3 Reading Specialists would support intervention
- Social emotional learning (SEL)
- SEL is included in classroom instruction across a student’s day, focusing on the five CASEL competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making
- Class meetings are built into the K-5 schedule to provide explicit instruction related to the IL Social Emotional Learning Standards
- Advisory is built into the 6-8 schedule to provide explicit instruction related to the IL Social Emotional Learning Standards
- All schools would continue to have Social Workers. There would be no reduction in our Social Work staff
- Media literacy
- Students would continue to visit the media center to check out books, receive read-alouds from adults, and suggestions for books to check out
- Students would continue to receive instruction on the Illinois Standards Aligned Instruction for Libraries
GOVERNANCE AND DECISION-MAKING
What is the Board’s role in providing governance for the annual staffing plan?
There is a fundamental distinction between the Board’s governance role and the Administration’s operational role. The Board’s responsibility is to ensure the district has the necessary tools and fiscal framework to succeed. We do this principally through Board policy and through the annual budget approval process.
So empowered by the Board, the specific design and implementation of a staffing plan—deciding how to best deploy our professional educators to meet student needs—is the direct responsibility of the District Administration. To that end:
- The Board does not vote on the staffing plan (and historically has never done so). The Board will not set a precedent that moves personnel management into the realm of board voting, as that significantly blurs the line between governance and administration;
- Due to the questions and concerns voiced by our district community, the Board exercised governance through the request to pause action and address these questions and concerns before moving forward
- After our review and consideration, The Board supports the Administration’s expertise. We have full confidence in the leadership team’s ability to orchestrate a plan that balances educational rigor with fiscal responsibility
How is this plan in compliance with the district’s Equity Policy (5.12)?
In making this decision, the board and administration applied the equity lens required by Policy 5:12. That means we asked not just whether the plan was fiscally responsible, but who would be most affected, whose voices were missing from the initial process, and whether the plan as designed risked creating or perpetuating inequity for our students.
Those questions are what drove the decision to pause and ensure we read, considered, and addressed the questions and concerns raised by the district community. We reviewed the plan against these questions and concerns, noting where we needed to provide additional context and supporting data, correct misunderstandings, and to give additional consideration to how the very real needs of our students will be met within the new staffing plan.
How is this plan student-centered?
At the heart of every decision we make is a commitment to serving students in meaningful and measurable ways. Our work is grounded in ensuring that all students have access to high-quality instruction, supportive learning environments, and the resources they need to succeed. This includes maintaining strong classroom experiences, prioritizing academic growth, and supporting the social and emotional well-being of every learner.
In the context of today’s financial realities, staying student-centered also means making thoughtful, sometimes difficult choices about how to allocate limited resources for the greatest overall impact. We remain focused on preserving programs and supports that directly benefit students, while continuing to evaluate how we can adapt and improve to meet their evolving needs.
Will the new data center planned in Grayslake provide financial benefit to D46?
No. While the data center development is located within the Village of Grayslake, it falls outside the geographic boundaries of CCSD 46. Property tax revenue generated by developments is distributed to the taxing districts whose boundaries include that property. Because the data center is not within our district’s boundaries, D46 does not receive any property tax revenue from it and will see no direct financial benefit from its development.