School News

 

 

D155 Superintendent Dr. Neil Lesinski Named Finalist for 2024 Innovative Superintendent of the Year

Congratulations to Dr. Neil Lesinski, Superintendent of District 155, for being named as a finalist for the Innovative Superintendent of the Year award for 2024 in the State of Illinois. This annual award, sponsored by Sibme, recognizes superintendents who exhibit creative and cutting-edge strategies to foster a culture of continuous improvement among their teams. 

Dr.Lesinski has been instrumental in adapting to a changing school district. According to Dr. Kevin Werner, Chief Officer of Finance & Operations, "Neil developed an International Newcomer Center and supporting peer teacher coaching program to collaborate with our newcomer students to practice English and content-area academic skills.” By establishing a peer teacher coaching program, Dr. Lesinski ensures that professional learning is relevant to the individual needs of each teacher, and fosters a sense of community among staff.

Dr. Lesinski's approach to reflection and collaboration among teachers is rooted in active listening and empathy. "Neil treats each staff member with respect while reaching decisions through ongoing collaboration and consensus building.”

Ultimately, this sense of professional community impacts students first. As Dr. Werner shared in his nomination, “The impact that Neil has had on our district is incredible! Each year we conduct a School Culture Survey. Following his first year as Superintendent, 94.2% of students agreed that they feel like they belong in their school community, up from 74.3% from the prior year.”

Neil Lesinski’s nomination is a testament to his dedication and the positive impact he has made on Community High School District 155. His innovative approach to leadership, continuous improvement, and professional development sets a benchmark for other education leaders to follow.

 

Community High School District 155 has taken steps to enhance district safety and security over the summer with the installation of BluePoint Alert Systems in all four buildings.

These rapid emergency response systems will immediately notify first responders, school leadership, students, teachers and staff of a threat.

“Having the BluePoint Alert System installed throughout District 155 schools is another step towards ensuring the continued safety of our students and staff,” said Dr. Neil Lesinski, superintendent. “I am also grateful for the collaborative partnerships we have with our local law enforcement agencies in the adoption of this new technology.” 

The blue pull stations are easy to identify and intuitive to interact with. Inside the building, a repeating announcement will indicate a hard lockdown is in place. Outside, the blue strobes provide instant notification, and warn not to enter in an emergency situation.

The system will also provide the initial location of threat information to law enforcement and school administration.

The presence of the police emergency notification system can serve as a deterrent to potential threats in the school building. In the event of an active threat, the alert system will allow first responders and law enforcement to increase effectiveness and decrease response time.

Nearly 86 percent of Community High School District 155’s 2023 graduates will continue their studies at four-year colleges, two-year community colleges, and vocational and technical schools. Over 58 percent percent of the graduating class will pursue degrees at four-year colleges and universities. The Class of 2023 has earned $14,244,724 in scholarships.

The top three college destinations for the Class of 2023 are McHenry County College, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Illinois State University. Seventeen percent of students continuing education are interested in studying in a STEM field, 17% are planning to study health science, and 10% plan to study business management and administration. Additionally, 39 students will be pursuing a trade or vocation, and 50 will be directly entering the workforce full-time. Thirty-one students plan to serve in the armed forces. 

The Class of 2023 is studying in 38 states, Washington, D.C. & five countries including Canada, Japan, Paraguay, and the Netherlands. 

There were 1,294 graduates in the class of 2023. District 155’s graduation rate is 96 percent and the state’s graduation rate is 87 percent.  

The Crystal Lake Food Pantry has opened their commercial kitchen to Haber Oaks students as a resource to practice cooking and food safety. 

"It's a really good connection with the community, getting kids clicked into different resources the community has, and possible job opportunities," said Haber Oaks Campus teacher Anne Whitney-Tubridy.

Whitney-Tubridy reached out to the Crystal Lake Food Pantry in hopes of establishing a weekly nutrition and cooking class since Haber Oaks does not have a commercial kitchen. "We are using the community as a resource," she said.

When referencing the facilities at the Crystal Lake Food Pantry, volunteer Marilyn Georgy said, "It's just here for the community from the community."

Students loved this hands-on, off campus educational activity from the start, and are learning a lot about the mission of the food pantry in the process. "I really like that everyone here wants to be here, that they are doing it just for the good of other people. It's really nice to know there's something like that in my community," said Haber Oaks student Jasper Sturgis.

Students are learning to play the guitar through the program Free Guitars for Future Stars, a non-profit organization dedicated to making guitars and guitar lessons more accessible to McHenry County children and schools.

"Music has the power to make big changes in an individual. From healing to entertaining, calming to building imagination, music has some effect on almost everyone that it touches,” said FGFS founder and teacher Scott Neumann.

Students that complete the program get to keep their guitar and can apply for advanced lessons.