Local School Council
The Local School Council (LSC) is a publicly elected group of Parents, Staff Members and Community Members and together serve as a governing body for Hamilton Elementary.
The LSC provides a wide variety of stakeholders an opportunity to make important decisions about how students in their communities will be educated.
October LSC Meeting:
Date/Time: Wednesday October. 21 @ 9am
Location: Hamilton Elementary School, 1650 W. Cornelia Ave
In person: Library
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/kbt-ttqy-oop
Or dial: (US) +1 347-815-2131 PIN: 480 717 257#
2026-2027 Meeting Schedule
Meetings are held in the Hamilton Library and are also streamed via Google Meet for public access. The Google Meet link is available on the School Calendar. Please note meeting topics below are tentative and subject to change.
Wed. July @ 6:00pm
Organizational Meeting
Wed. August 26th @ 6:00pm
Back to School
Wed. September 23rd @ 6:00pm
Wed. October 21st @ 9:00am
LSC Learning Walk
November 18th @ 6pm
State of the School
December
No meeting
Wed. January 27th @ 6:00pm
Wed. February 24th @ 8:00am
LSC Learning Walk
Thurs. March 31st @ 6pm
Wed, April 28th @ 6:00pm
Wed, May 26th @ 6:00pm
End of Year Recap
Purpose and Proceedings
The Local School Council (LSC) is responsible for:
• Approving the school based academic plan or Continuous Improvement Work Plan (CIWP)
• Approving the alignment of budgetary resources to the CIWP
• Engaging in the annual evaluation of contract principal’s professional practices
• Selecting or renewing contract principals
During the meetings we hear update from the LSC Chairperson, the LSC Subcommittees, the Hamilton Action Team and the Principal. Meetings are open to the public except for items related to personnel performance (i.e., principal review, retention and selection). Any closed meeting will be announced at least 48 hours prior, and will be announced as a “Closed Meeting.”
Hamilton LSC Subcommittees:
1. Budget Committee
2. CIWP Committee (Continuous Improvement Work Plan)
3. PPLC (Professional Planning Learning Committee- made up of teachers)
4. Student Voice Committee (student member)
Sample LSC Meeting Agenda
1. Welcome, Call to Order
2. Roll Call, Establish Quorum
3. Approval of the Agenda
4. Reports & Updates
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Principal’s Report (e.g., School performance, updates on CIWP goals)
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Committee Reports (e.g., Budget, CIWP, PPLC, Student Voice Comte.)
5. Public Participation
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Citizens may speak (2–3 minutes per person)
6. LSC Discussion Items
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Mid-year CIWP check-in
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Review principal evaluation process or timeline
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Community partnership ideas or upcoming events
7. Action Items
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Approve CIWP (Continuous Improvement Work Plan) updates
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Approve school budget or changes to discretionary funds
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Principal evaluation or renewal
-
New business: hiring principal, policy updates, grant requests
8. Adjourn
The Continuous Improvement Work Plan (CIWP) from Chicago Public Schools is the strategic planning process of schools that also meets the federal and state requirements of a school improvement plan. This plan establishes a school's mission, and the strategies and milestones the school will take to accomplish its goals. The CIWP follows a continuous improvement cycle, where goals, strategies and milestones are monitored regularly and adjusted as needed.
2026-2028
LOCAL SCHOOL COUNCIL
Meet the Parents, Staff and Community Members of the Local School Council
Jen Mortensen
Parent Member
Chairperson
Kevin Kasiborski
Parent Member
Vice Chairperson
Open Seat
Parent Member
Kristin Blathras
Principal
Open Seat
Parent Member
Open Seat
Parent Member
Open Seat
Parent Member
Julie Simon
Teacher Member
Zoe Warms
Teacher Member
Dana Carman
Staff Member
Secretary
Gene Welsh
Community Member
Open Seat
Community Member
Vivi Heberle
Student Member
Student Voices Committee
