Kenilworth School District 38 has said it will make significant changes to the special education program at The Joseph Sears School.

Dr. Christina Sepiol, a retired student-services educator hired by the District 38 Board of Education this spring, conducted an audit and presented her findings to school leadership. The review followed public concerns raised by parents and teachers about staffing and resource shortfalls in the program, which serves students with IEPs and 504 plans at the district's sole Pre-K through 8 school.

Superintendent Kate Donegan and Principal Dr. Stephanie Helfand lead the district and school. Any staffing or program changes would require Board of Education approval.

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, school districts are required to provide a free appropriate public education to every student with a disability. The law entitles families to prior written notice before any changes are made to a student's special education program and guarantees the right to participate meaningfully in decisions affecting their child.

The Illinois State Board of Education conducts periodic compliance monitoring of district special education programs statewide. ISBE's most recent compliance review of District 38 is available through its Continuous Improvement Monitoring records at isbe.net.

The Kenilworth audit does not exist in isolation. One community south, Wilmette District 39 is heading into the 2026-27 school year with its own unresolved special education staffing crisis.

D39 board personnel records show the district lost 15 paraprofessionals between June and August 2025 while hiring only five replacements — a net loss of ten support staff in a single summer. The district is still actively recruiting paraprofessionals for the coming school year, a gap that affects students with IEPs and 504 plans across all six D39 schools.

Both districts participate in the Wilmette Community Special Education Agreement, or WCSEA — a joint special education cooperative between D39 and Avoca School District 37 that carried a budget of $236,268 in FY26

The specific audit findings and the district's planned changes have not been released publicly. The audit report does not appear on the district website. Families can request it through a FOIA submission at kenilworth38.org/about/freedom-of-information-act-foia.

The District 38 Board of Education meets publicly and posts agendas at kenilworth38.org. Families who want to address the board directly can do so during the public comment period at any regular board meeting.