DeKalb CUSD 428 Spring Quarterly Newsletter

Celebrating 100 days of school with some pretty spry Lincoln and Littlejohn '100' year-olds.

Dear DeKalb CUSD 428 Community,

As we move into February, our spring semester is well underway and moving quickly. We’ve settled into our spring routines, and I find that now is also a good time to pause, reflect, and look ahead with hope. I want to share an update on the state of our district and some exciting things on the horizon.

Students in Action
Our focus is always to ensure our schools remain places of learning, care, and opportunity. Looking back over the past few months, there are wonderful examples of our students excelling in our classrooms and in the district's diverse extracurricular offerings. For example, mid-year student achievement data show encouraging trends in the percentage of our first through eighth-grade students achieving and surpassing their learning growth goals in math.

Growing beyond the classroom, our forensics and all-state musicians represent our district at the highest levels, including internationally with the band and orchestra's recent trip to Prague. High school art students are busy creating one-of-a-kind car designs in the annual Brian Bemis Art competition, and Lincoln Empowerment Club students spent time preparing meals for Feed My Starving Children and collecting more than 20,000 pieces of candy to send to active military members overseas. The impressive list goes on! We have so many points of pride and much to celebrate.

Leadership Transition
The Board of Education selected Mr. Billy Hueramo to serve as our next superintendent. Mr. Hueramo currently serves as Director of Teaching and Learning for PreK-5th grade. We have the tremendous benefit of welcoming an experienced D428 educator and administrator as the incoming superintendent, which allows for greater continuity, stability, and a smooth handoff. We are working closely together to ensure our goals, priorities, and values remain centered on student success.

Investing in our Youngest Learners
We are also incredibly excited and fortunate to begin planning the design and construction of a new Early Childhood Development Center, set to open in 2028. Our region has long faced a significant shortage of early childhood education options. DeKalb County is classified by the state board of education as an early childhood desert, noting that there are insufficient publicly funded slots to serve at least 80% of 3- and 4-year-old children from low-income families. In 2025, 172 additional slots were needed in DeKalb alone. Addressing the educational needs of our youngest learners is paramount to future success in school and beyond. The construction of this center, which is fully funded by enterprise zone industrial growth revenue and does not rely on homeowner property taxes, represents our commitment to equipping our community with high-quality early learning options to help children build strong foundations. Stay tuned as we will continue to share progress and opportunities to engage with us on this critically important investment for our future.

Looking ahead, we will continue to focus on strong teaching and learning, student well-being, and careful planning for the future. Together, we are building a district where every child can learn, grow, and thrive.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership. It is an honor to serve the DeKalb CUSD 428 community.

Top: The DeKalb High School Marching Band performs in Prague, Czech Republic, in December 2025.

Middle: DHS students work on their car wrap at Brian Bemis Toyota.

Bottom: Lincoln Empowerment Club volunteers at Feed My Starving Children event.

Warm regards,

Dr. Minerva Garcia-Sanchez
Superintendent

Online registration for the 2026-2027 school year opens on April 1, 2026. Watch the district website for registration links for new and returning students, along with instructions on how to complete the online registration process.

It's not too early to start getting ready!

Returning Families - Check Skyward Family Access now to ensure the correct email address, primary contact phone number, and address are on file. Email, phone number, and emergency contact updates can be changed at your child's school office.

Need to change your address? Use one of these three ways to make sure your address is updated.

Submit the Address Change form in Family Access by uploading your documents in the change form
Email documents to registration@d428.org
Bring your documents to the Education Center, 901 S. 4th Street.

If you or someone you know has a child between the ages of three and five, call the ELDC to set up a free preschool screening today during our February 26 and February 27 sessions.

The screening features a play-based screening model with four to five children at a time, assisted by experienced early childhood learning educators.

Call to schedule your screening:
815-754-2999
shannon.armstrong@d428.org

Early Learning Childhood Development Center Principal

Upcoming Screening Dates:
Friday, April 10
Friday, May 8
Thursday, June 4

If you are a parent of an incoming kindergartner, or know someone who is, be sure to attend an upcoming information night to learn more about D428's Two-Way Dual Language program.

Cortland Elementary - Feb. 24
6-7:00 PM.
370 Lexington Ave.
Corland

Littlejohn Elementary - March 5
6-7:00 PM.
1133 N. 13th Street, DeKalb

Need more information? Email aj.crook@d428.org or visit our website.

Register before February 13 to be a part of Barb STEAMCon 2026!

Barb STEAMCon presented by Meta returns this year on Saturday, March 14, 2026, which also happens to be Pi Day! This year's event promises to be another exciting day of hands-on learning fun in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math for D428 students. STEAMCon 2026 will be hosted at Mitchell Elementary School, 1240 Normal Rd., DeKalb, from 8:15 a.m. to Noon. Cost is $5 for attendees and free for presenters. Everyone who attends will receive a free Barb STEAMCon T-shirt and will have a chance to win door prizes!

All students in grades 3-8 are encouraged to attend. Students of any age are also encouraged to present a session for their peers. If your student is interested in presenting, they should speak to their teachers for more information. Educators from the district and NIU will also present on topics such as drawing with light, the science of sound, slimy science, and more!

Learn more and register today! Registration closes February 13.

The 5Essentials survey is open through March 13. Just a few minutes of your time helps improve our schools!

The 5Essentials Survey is an important tool for gauging the culture and climate of our schools. It identifies five indicators that lead to improved outcomes for all students, including improved attendance and larger test-score gains. Results of the confidential survey are also part of a school's Illinois Report Card assessment.

Please take a few minutes to complete the survey before March 13 and use your voice to help our schools.

Use the QR Code to access the 5Essentials Survey

iOS App - Apple Store

Android App - Google Play Store

ParentSquare provides a safe, efficient, and accessible way for the District and schools to communicate with families and staff. It also offers an improved interface and mobile-friendly delivery. All District and school building-level communications, including teacher classroom school-to-home communications, are sent using ParentSquare.

We encourage families to download the ParentSquare app and activate an account now to take full advantage of the many features available, including notification and language settings. However, downloading the app is not required to receive alerts and posts from the District and school buildings.

**An important reminder: Make sure your contact information is up to date in Skyward so you are receiving notifications and information from the District and your school(s). This is particularly important for critical or emergency notifications.

The ParentSquare app is available in iOS or Android stores. Downloading the mobile app is the easiest way to receive emergency alerts, posts, events, sign-up requests, photos and files, and more.

Check out the District's Virtual Backpack page for information on a variety of community events, services, camps and more! You'll find a quick link to Virtual Backpack on the D428 website homepage.

The 'For Parents' page is located on the homepage of District's website and includes several quick links to helpful resources such as the Parent/Student Handbook, Student Code of Conduct, Barb Food Mart, crisis resources, and more.

February 16 - President's Day Holiday, No School
February 17 - Board of Education Meeting
February 20 - Professional Learning Community (PLC) Day - Early Release

March 3 - Board of Education Meeting
March 6 - Teacher Institute Day, No School
March 17 - Primary Election Day, No School Board Meeting, Moved to March 18
March 18 - Board of Education Meeting - rescheduled from March 17 due to Primary Elections
March 20 - Professional Learning Community (PLC) Day - Early Release
March 23-27 - Spring Break, No School
March 26-27 - District Offices closed

April 3 & 6 - No School
April 7 - Board of Education Meeting
April 17 - Professional Learning Community (PLC) Day - Early Release
April 21 - Board of Education Meeting