Editor’s note: The RoundTable published an ETHS 101 last week on everything students, parents and families in high school need to know.
Summer is coming to a close next week for Evanston/Skokie District 65 students, who will enter their new classrooms for the 2024-2025 academic year bright and early next Thursday morning.
Evanston Township High School is already back in session this week, while elementary and middle schoolers have an extra few days to soak up the sun.
With the new year comes paperwork for families to submit, including student fees, meal applications, health forms and more. The district recently put out a soup to nuts back to school guide and a letter from Superintendent Angel Turner.
“It is my hope for the future that gives me joy in my present,” said Turner, who also addressed the district’s budget deficit in her message to the community. “The future is bright if we continue to work together and keep our students at the heart of all we do. Best wishes for a wonderful school year filled with laughter, learning, and a true sense of community.”
The one big change this year is in third- through fifth-grade athletics. In a move to save money and staff time, the district is transitioning sports program oversight to the City of Evanston’s Parks and Recreation Department, which already offers art and athletic activities for a fee. Third- through fifth-grade sports will now be under the city’s purview, while middle school sports will make that jump next year.
“This partnership was designed to address the specific needs of our community, providing all District 65 schools with inclusive sports league opportunities for students,” the district said in announcing the change. “Beginning in September, students in all District 65 elementary and magnet schools will be able to participate in flag football and cross-country programs throughout the city. Winter and spring sports will include basketball, cheerleading, soccer, tennis and track and field.”
Registration for fall sports opened Aug. 12 and will be available through Sept. 9. Students receiving free or reduced-price lunch are eligible for fee assistance through both the city and the school district. You can find more information at cityofevanston.org/sportsprograms or by emailing Eric Eichholz, the city’s sports and athletic program coordinator, at eeichholz@cityofevanston.org.
Scroll down to check out the RoundTable’s compilation of key information and dates to keep in mind as you start the new school year.
Class schedules and key dates
All schools in the district except the Joseph E. Hill Early Childhood Center will open for the new school year on Thursday, Aug. 22. Tuesday and Wednesday, Aug. 20 and 21, are staff work days to prepare for the start of the year.
Preschool for All and Head Start programs at JEH begin Aug. 28.
Middle schools start class every day at 8 a.m. and are dismissed at 3:05 p.m., while the 10 elementary schools all start at 9:05 a.m. and are dismissed at 3:35 p.m. The two kindergarten through eighth-grade magnet schools – Dr. Bessie Rhodes School of Global Studies and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Literary and Fine Arts School – start classes at 8 a.m. daily and finish at 2:45 p.m. Park School runs from 9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., and Rice Education Center from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
If you have a child at JEH, you can check the website for more information about morning and afternoon session hours for preschoolers and Head Start students.
Each individual building will host a “curriculum night” for parents, caretakers and families at some point during the first few weeks of school, so stay tuned for an announcement about a date and time from your child’s teacher or principal. In the meantime, here are a few key dates to add to your calendar:
- Thursday, Aug. 22: First day of school for kindergarten through eighth grade.
- Wednesday, Aug. 28: First day for JEH.
- Monday, Sept. 2: Registration for fall electives opens for students participating in before and/or after school child care.
- Monday, Sept. 23: Fall electives begin.
- Thursday, Sept. 5: Food trucks, lawn games, arts and crafts, a DJ and other activity booths will be available at the annual ‘Kits, ‘Cats and Kids Block Party from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at ETHS’ Lazier Field on Church Street and Hartrey Avenue.
- Tuesday, Sept. 10: The Caregiver Council for Disability Inclusion holds its first meeting of the new school year from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at JEH. The council helps connect families of children with disabilities.
- Tuesday, Sept. 10: The first districtwide PTA Council meeting happens from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
- Monday, Oct. 7 through Thursday, Oct. 10: Parent-teacher conferences take place. You’ll find out more about specific dates and times for your own meetings from your school closer to the date.
Student fees and meal applications
At registration time each year, families have to pay student fees for items like transportation services, classroom activities, iPads and basic school supplies. But all fees are waived for students receiving free meals, and fees are discounted for students receiving reduced-price meals. For more information about applying for free or reduced-price meals, go to the district’s webpage, which also includes a link to apply.
Families need to reapply for free or reduced-price meals each summer, unless you already received a meal approval confirmation letter directly from District 65.
You can make payments online at the district web store, and you can also find instructions for setting up an account here. Additionally, payments can be made in person at the district business office on the second floor of JEH.
Annual student fees – which cover basic school supplies, classroom activities, technology and transportation (only if the student takes the bus) – are due by Sept. 15. The district assesses a late fee of $20. The full-price total excluding transportation is $270 for elementary schoolers and $280 for middle schoolers.
Families receiving discounted lunch will owe $97 for elementary schoolers and $100 for middle schoolers. All fees are waived for those with a free lunch plan.
The district provides all necessary school supplies except for backpacks and water bottles, so there’s no supply list for summer purchases.
Health and wellness requirements
Illinois law requires school districts to have certain health information on file before students start certain grades, especially preschool, kindergarten and sixth grade.
Before the first day of kindergarten, families have to submit an eye examination report, a proof of dental examination form and a child health examination form. The dental form also has to be completed before second and sixth grade, and the health exam form has to be submitted before sixth grade as well. You can find information about all requirements and links to all of these forms on the district’s health and wellness web page.
You can also read more about vaccination requirements for each grade level and other details concerning student medications, allergy resources and student illnesses or injuries.
Completed health forms can be:
- dropped off at your child’s school
- dropped off at JEH (1500 McDaniel Ave.)
- emailed to D65health@district65.net
- faxed to 847-866-7280
Child care options
District 65 offers child care programming before and after school every weekday for kindergarten through fifth grade using two different services: the district’s own School Age Child Care (SACC) program and a separate program from a company called Right At School. Child care services are provided from 7 a.m. to the start of school and from the end of school to 6 p.m. each day. Transportation is not provided, though.
Transportation
Students living 1½ miles or more from their school, or where walking to school would constitute a safety hazard, are eligible for free bus transportation to and from school every day. Families of new students can request services by emailing transportation@district65.net.
Diverse learners with an individualized education plan have transportation services built into their plans. Students attending magnet schools or specialty programs like two-way language immersion and African Centered Curriculum can request bus service for a fee.
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