The River Trails School District 26 Board of Education held a meeting on Tuesday, May 2, 2023 at River Trails Middle School. It was also livestreamed on our website. A full recording of the meeting is available for viewing on our YouTube page.
Here are the highlights:
- Kimberly Bianchini, a resident of Prospect Heights, was sworn in as the district’s newest board member. She won her seat in April, along with incumbents Louis Camardo, Donna Johnson and Becky Pfisterer.
- The board recognized outgoing member Frank Fiarito, who is leaving the board after serving for 12 years. Board President William Grimpe said, “We walked in as acquaintances, became co-board members, became friends, and now he’s family.” In farewell remarks, Fiarito said, “A’s and B’s are not important to board members. It is the four C’s: communicate, collaborate, compromise and consensus. That is a good recipe for success.” Fiarito was elected to the District 214 Board of Education in April.
- As part of the reorganization meeting, the board selected its officers for the upcoming year, with William Grimpe as the president, Janine Freedlund as vice president and Donna Johnson as secretary. All three served in the same roles last year, as well. The board also set its meeting schedule and committee assignments for the upcoming year. The full schedule will be available on our website in the coming days.
- The board approved the hiring of Natalie Hudson as Prairie Trails’ assistant principal. Hudson has been a teacher in the district for eight years, including the last two as a special education teacher at Prairie Trails. Her official start date is July 24, 2023.
- In her current role on the River Trails Education executive committee, Hudson thanked the board for their ongoing working relationship. She added kind words about Fiarito, saying, “We wish you luck on your new adventure.”
- Freedlund noted the success of STEAM Night, which recently took place at Euclid Elementary School. She also gave a shoutout to the River Trails Middle School Steel Band who performed at the Mount Prospect Public Library on April 28. “It was fun and it was nice to see a lot of residents who I didn’t recognize enjoying that,” Freedlund said.
The next regular board meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 16 at River Trails Middle School. You can email the board at boe@rtsd26.org.