Libertyville District 70

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District 70 is accepting applications for substitute work for the 2019-2020 school year.  Positions include: Classroom Teachers, Paraeducators, Learning Center Clerks, and School Administrative Assistants.

For Classroom Teachers, the requirement for previous teaching experience and/or student teaching has been lifted, though is still preferred. At minimum you need to hold a Substitute Teaching License (SUB) license from the ISBE and be registered in Lake County. There is no longer a requirement for teaching experience, a teaching degree or student-teaching.

Complete the online application to be considered:  APPLY HERE

District 70 Summer School registration opens for residents on March 8. Summer School will run Monday through Thursday, from June 15-July 16, at Highland Middle and Copeland Manor schools. Summer School classes will be posted online on Feb. 28. 

Here are some changes this year:

• A later start date was needed to accommodate possible Snow Days, which are added to the end of the school year calendar in June.
• Summer School pre-kindergarten and pre-first grade classes also were moved to Copeland Manor School because summer construction projects are scheduled at Rockland School.
• To accommodate families picking up at both Copeland Manor (11:30 a.m. dismissal) and Highland Middle (serving students in 2nd - 8th grades with 11:45 a.m. dismissal), pickup times are staggered.  
• Non-resident fees are being increased to help cover the cost of the program. Non-resident registration starts on March 15.     

A Summer School Open House will be held from 8-10 a.m. and again from 2-4 p.m. on June 11 at both Libertyville schools. Students and parents may walk their schedules and become familiar with the schools. 

The Summer School Directors are (Butterfield Assistant Principal) Steve Feldman for Copeland Manor School and Elizabeth Davis (Highland Middle School Assistant Principal) for Highland Middle School. Principals on-site for Summer School at Highland Middle School will be Alder Park physical education teacher Gerry Carollo and math coach Carrie Thompson. The principal for Copeland Manor School is to be determined.  

Libertyville School District 70 is honoring Libertyville Township Supervisor Kathleen O’Connor as this year’s District 70 Character & Leadership Award recipient.

O’Connor, a beloved Libertyville resident who raised her children in District 70 schools, exemplifies the traits of the character-building program used in District 70 schools, including trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship, according to Holly Simon, Butterfield speech-language pathologist, who nominated Mrs. O’Connor for the award.  Simon noted that Mrs. O’Connor is “hard-working, always ready to be there for others in all aspects of her life,” even during non-working hours. 

District students, families and teachers often collected items for the Libertyville Township Food Pantry, which Mrs. O’Connor supervises and directs. The pantry helps supply food to those in need.  

• The D70 Calendar for the 2020-21 school year

• Aug. 20, 2020:  First day of school for 1st - 8th grade students        
• Aug. 21, 2020:  First day of school for kindergartners
• Nov. 25-27, 2020: Thanksgiving break
• Dec. 21, 2020- Jan. 4, 2021: Winter break
• March 22-26, 2021: Spring break
• June 3, 2021: Tentative last day of school
• June 10, 2021: Last day of school if 5 emergency days used                       

New requirements from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has District 70 discontinuing e-learning this school year.

Last year, District 70 adopted e-learning as an innovative approach to counting emergency days as the days of actual student attendance. The model District 70 employed in 2018-19 had students choose from a variety of activities that accounted for approximately 40 minutes. But this year, ISBE changed the parameters with a five-hour requirement for school districts to adhere to consider e-learning as an actual day of student attendance. This has presented a challenge for District 70 staff to create enough learning activities to meet the increased time requirement, including tasks that can be accomplished by 5- and 6-year-olds. There also is no guidance from ISBE this year regarding students requiring special education services.

E-Learning will be reviewed by district staff for future development. 

As such, District 70 students will need to make up missed school days due to Snow Days or other complications that call for emergency school closure at the end of the school year in June 2020. State law requires school districts to prepare for this by adding five emergency days at the end of every year. 

• No missed school days        ------------  School ends June 3, 2020
• District 70 closed 9/13/19  ------------ School ends June 4, 2020   (Butterfield loses power, HMS flooding during a severe storm) 

• Second day closed ------------    School ends June 5, 2020. 
• Third day closed     ------------    School ends June 8, 2020. 
• Fourth day closed   ------------    School ends June 9, 2020.
• Fifth day closed      ------------    School ends June 10, 2020. 

The last day of school will be early release with dismissal at 1:15 p.m. for K-5, and at 1:45 p.m. for 6-8.

Please plan accordingly. 

District 70 is aware of and is monitoring developments in Waukegan and Gurnee about ethylene oxide (EtO) emissions.  EtO is a substance known to cause cancer. 

Medline Industries in Waukegan and Vantage Specialty Chemicals in Gurnee are being monitored for EtO emissions by the Lake County Health Department.  Other agencies, such as the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA), are involved as well. 

The Lake County Health Department website has information about EtO and the results of air testing at and near both of these facilities in Waukegan and Gurnee. You can reach the Health Department at 847-367-8000.

District 70 is committed to safety and will communicate with staff and parent communities about this matter as appropriate. (Sept. 25, 2019)