ISD 166 begins school year with new hires, construction underway

Students return to Cook County Schools on Tuesday, Sept. 8, as ISD 166 begins the school year with several new staff members and continued construction throughout the school building.

Superintendent Chris Lindholm said the district has hired new staff in several areas, including a culinary arts teacher, a long-term substitute for middle school science, an elementary special education teacher, and a school psychologist.

This year, the district is projecting relatively flat enrollment. Lindholm said the school had a slight increase of five or six students, but that overall it’s relatively flat. “Hopefully, next year things will start to tick back up.”

Construction projects have been ongoing throughout the summer following approval from Cook County voters during two referendums. Work will continue throughout the school year as part of the district’s building improvement project.

Over the summer, Lindholm said crews renovated the cafeteria, including new flooring, windows, skylights, and furniture. Crews also completed the middle and high school bathrooms ahead of schedule, along with a remodel of the elementary media center and a new special education room.

Outside the building, the new auxiliary gym, locker room, and fitness area are taking shape. Structural steel and precast concrete are in place, and work to enclose the new addition will continue over the coming months.

The district is also preparing for the next phase of construction, which includes improvements to the football field and track. Bids for that work are scheduled to be opened Sept. 11.

Lindholm said the district hopes to begin some work after the 2026 football season and have the new field ready for the following season, although weather could affect the timeline.

“We will wait and see, and hopefully we’ll be a little strategic and schedule a couple of away games first,” Lindholm said.

WTIP’s Kalli Hawkins spoke with ISD 166 Superintendent Chris Lindholm as the start of the school year gets underway for an update on the ongoing construction projects. Audio below.

Kalli Hawkins September 7, 2026