Due to a projected decline in enrollment for the 2026-27 school year, Glenbrook District 225 will experience reductions in staffing through attrition, a process in which retiring staff will not be replaced by new employees, Principal Dr. Barbara Georges said.

This decline in enrollment is partly due to reduced housing turnover, as fewer older homeowners have chosen to downsize, limiting opportunities for incoming families to move into the district, Georges said. The staffing plan for the 2026-27 school year reflects a district-wide net decrease of 3.4 licensed full-time employees (FTE), such as teachers, and 5.5 non-licensed FTE, including instructional assistants and security personnel, according to the Staffing Plan Recommendation presented by a  District 225 Board of Education memorandum on March 9. A decrease of 2.7 licensed FTE and no change in non-licensed FTE is shown for South, according to the Staffing Plan Recommendation. The Board of Education has focused on meeting these reductions through attrition and avoiding dismissal, Superintendent Dr. R.J. Gravel said.

“Every year, we’re seeing 10 to 25 teachers retiring,” Gravel said. “Other times, some of our teachers and other staff members might become administrators or teacher leaders in other districts. In situations where otherwise we might decrease the number of staff in a certain year, we might delay that in order to allow that decrease to happen more naturally.”

Reduced enrollment does not affect the hiring process for part-time employees, who are hired on a year-by-year basis, Georges said. Currently, interviews are being conducted for part-time teachers and the amount present next year is unknown, Georges added.

“People that are hired part-time are only hired for that part-time job for that academic year only,” Georges said. “So you will see that part-time teachers don’t come back unless we have another part- time opening and we hire them back for another one year.”

Limits on class sizes within each department ensure that class sizes remain consistent despite enrollment fluctuations, Georges said. The number of times a course is offered may be decreased to match course demand, however, the number of sections is based on other factors such as student interest, beyond enrollment, Georges explained.

While there may be less staff in the building next year the availability of courses or levels of courses offered for students will not be affected, as decisions about what courses and sections will be running are made individually by each school, Gravel said.

“Retaining staff that have demonstrated commitment to the district is where you want to be,” Gravel said.