Captured: 2026-05-16 | RCDTS 05-016-2030-17 | Cook County | EBF Tier 4
Service area: Winnetka, Wilmette, Glencoe, Kenilworth, Northfield, parts of Glenview
Two campuses: Northfield (district HQ, freshmen) + Winnetka (10–12)
Domain: https://www.newtrier.k12.il.us | BoardDocs: AAL7HU19BD23
New Trier Township High School District 203 is a Township High School District organized under 105 ILCS 5/Article 6, governed by a 7-member elected Board of Education (4-year staggered terms; consolidated April elections per 10 ILCS 5/2A). District serves an affluent north-shore Cook County footprint and operates a two-campus model: freshmen at Northfield Campus (also the district administrative HQ at 7 Happ Road, Northfield), and grades 10–12 at the Winnetka Campus. Per most recent Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, district enrollment is ~4,000.
| Name | Role | City/Township |
|---|---|---|
| Jean Hahn | President | New Trier Twp (Northfield admin contact) |
| Sally Tomlinson | Vice President | New Trier Twp |
| Avik Kumar Das | Member | New Trier Twp |
| Joo Serk Lee | Member | New Trier Twp |
| Courtney McDonough | Member | New Trier Twp |
| Sally Pofcher | Member | New Trier Twp |
| (7th seat) | Member | New Trier Twp |
Detail in board_members/board_members.md. Sourced live from district Board of Education Directory (raw_pages/board_directory.html).
Full org chart in admin_staff/admin_staff.md.
| Category | Count captured | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Budget Summary | 8 | FY18-19 → FY25-26 |
| ISBE Budget filings | 9 | FY21–FY26 incl. amendments |
| Annual Financial Report (AFR / ISBE) | 15 | FY16–FY25 |
| Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) | 4 | FY22-25 (older 2017-2021 listed on DFI page; refetch recommended) |
| Treasurer's Reports | 85 | monthly 2018-2026 |
| Bill Lists / AP Check Registers | 87 | monthly 2018-2026 |
| Salary/Compensation/Union Contracts | 7 | NTEA 2023-2028, NTPPSA 2024-2029, NTESPA 2021-2026, ASA FY25, 2025-26 Faculty Comp Report, 2025-26 IMRF Comp Report, GES RFP |
All in financials/.
~$130M aggregate debt as of FY24:
Pattern: substantial use of Debt Certificates, Limited Tax (within PTELL DSEB), Alternate Revenue, and Private Placements — all non-referendum debt instruments. No recent referendum identified. See bonds_emma/bonds_summary.md.
Hosted at https://www.boardpolicyonline.com/?b=new_trier_203 (IASB PRESS-aligned framework). Manual is Blazor-rendered; static curl captured Blazor host page only. Section IDs identified: 1029227, 1029235. Detail in policy_manual/policy_manual.md.
Tier-4 audit pattern is distinct. Key flags (compliance_flags/compliance.md):
Northfield (HQ), Winnetka, Wilmette, Glencoe, Kenilworth, Glenview (partial). Detail in locations/locations.txt.
Authoritative legal framework cited throughout: IL_Education_Legal_Framework_AUTHORITATIVE.txt (Chapter XII matrix) and IL_preoath_compliance_checklist.md (board oath compliance).
District: New Trier Township High School District 203 (Cook County, IL)
Tier classification: EBF Tier 4 (well-funded; high property wealth)
Authoritative framework: /sessions/.../legal_research/IL_Education_Legal_Framework_AUTHORITATIVE.txt — Chapter XII compliance matrix
Captured: 2026-05-16
Audit pattern note: Tier-4 high-wealth districts do not exhibit the standard underfunded-district compliance failure profile (insufficient AFR filings, delinquent FOIA responses, missing Title I assurances). The compliance focus for New Trier is on (a) non-referendum bond instruments / debt-cap creep, (b) executive session abuse, (c) ultra-vires votes, (d) PRESS-policy adherence, and (e) wage/salary transparency given high compensation profile.
| Requirement | Statute | Compliance status | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 48-hr meeting notice posted | 5 ILCS 120/2.02 | LIKELY OK — BoardDocs publishes agendas in advance | 713 meetings indexed in BoardDocs (AAL7HU19BD23) |
| Agenda posted ≥48 hrs in advance | 5 ILCS 120/2.02(a) | LIKELY OK — agenda_minutes/2017plus/ has 600+ agenda HTML files | agendas_minutes/2017plus/*_agenda.html |
| Minutes posted within 10 days of approval / 60-day approval | 5 ILCS 120/2.06 | GAP — BoardDocs BD-GetMinutes endpoint returns 0 bytes for tested meetings; district may post minutes only as PDFs attached to subsequent agendas | Tested unid DTYLJC56C43D returned 0-byte minutes |
| OMA training certificate filed (within 90 days of taking oath) | 5 ILCS 120/1.05 | NEEDS VERIFICATION — request via FOIA the OMA training certificate for each newly seated board member post-April-2025 election | — |
| Executive session minutes review every 6 months | 5 ILCS 120/2.06(c) | NEEDS VERIFICATION — review agendas_minutes/2017plus/ for biannual "Review of Closed Session Minutes" items | — |
| Closed session subject limits (5 ILCS 120/2(c)) | 5 ILCS 120/2(c) | FLAG — Tier 4 districts with high admin compensation can overuse §2(c)(1)/(2) (personnel/litigation). Verify subject-matter compliance for each closed session | Spot-check agendas_minutes/2017plus/ for closed session items |
| Requirement | Statute | Status |
|---|---|---|
| FOIA Officer designated | 5 ILCS 140/3.5 | OK — Christopher T. Johnson, Deputy Superintendent (raw_pages/foia.html) |
| FOIA Officer e-training (annual) | 5 ILCS 140/3.5 | NEEDS VERIFICATION — request certificate |
| 5-business-day response | 5 ILCS 140/3(d) | LIKELY OK — FOIA log link present on FOIA page |
| FOIA log posted publicly | best practice | OK — FOIA Request Log link present |
| Fees: free first 50 pages B&W; 15¢/page over; 25¢ color | 5 ILCS 140/6 | OK per FOIA page text |
| Requirement | Statute | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Administrator/Faculty Salary & Benefits Report posted ≥6 days before meeting adopting budget | 105 ILCS 5/10-20.47 | OK — financials/salary_contracts/2025_2026_Administrator_and_Faculty_Compensation_Report.pdf |
| IMRF Compensation Report | 40 ILCS 5/7-135.15 | OK — financials/salary_contracts/2025_2026_IMRF_Compensation_report.pdf |
| Statement of Economic Interest (annual, board + administrators ≥$75K threshold) | 5 ILCS 420/4A-101 | NEEDS VERIFICATION — Cook County Clerk filing |
| Requirement | Statute | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Budget filed with ROE / ISBE | 105 ILCS 5/17-1 | OK — 8 fiscal-year ISBE Budgets + 8 Annual Budget Summaries captured |
| AFR filed by Oct 15 | 105 ILCS 5/3-15.1 | OK — AFR FY2016–FY2025 captured |
| ACFR (audit) issued within 6 months | 105 ILCS 5/3-15 / GAAP | OK — ACFR FY2017–FY2025 captured |
| Truth in Taxation hearings (if levy >5% increase) | 35 ILCS 200/18-55 | NEEDS VERIFICATION — review November/December agendas for TIT hearing notices |
| Tax Levy ordinance filed with County Clerk by last Tues in Dec | 35 ILCS 200/18-15 | NEEDS VERIFICATION — request from district / Cook County Clerk |
| Statement of Affairs (SOA) published annually | 105 ILCS 5/10-17 | PARTIAL — ASA FY25 captured; verify SOA publication in newspaper |
| PTELL compliance (Cook County is PTELL since 1995) | 35 ILCS 200/18-185 | OK structurally — district has used non-referendum / limited-tax debt to stay within PTELL aggregate extension limit |
| Item | Statute | Status / Flag |
|---|---|---|
| GO bonds for school building purposes >limit require referendum | 105 ILCS 5/19-1 | OK — none issued without referendum above limit |
| Debt Certificates (non-referendum) | 50 ILCS 420 | FLAG — Series 2017 $5.26M DCs issued. Lawful but bypasses ballot. Audit purpose-of-proceeds documented. |
| GO Limited Tax Bonds (non-referendum, within PTELL Debt Service Extension Base) | 35 ILCS 200/18-212 | FLAG — Series 2022A ($9.71M), 2023 ($9.31M) — confirm bonds fit within DSEB; if not, ultra-vires |
| Alternate Revenue Source bonds | 30 ILCS 350 | FLAG — Series 2016B and 2021A Alt Rev. Backup tax pledge required; verify backup levy is on file. |
| Refunding bonds (no referendum needed) | 105 ILCS 5/19-8 | OK — Series 2022 RF $56.41M refunded 2015A; savings analysis should be in OS / board minutes |
| Private placement of bonds (non-public market) | various | FLAG — Several issues are private placements: limits public disclosure. Confirm Continuing Disclosure Agreements (CDAs) where applicable on EMMA. |
| Direct private placement disclosure to EMMA | MSRB Rule G-34 | NEEDS VERIFICATION via EMMA |
| Pattern: ~$130M aggregate non-referendum debt with no recent successful referendum | governance | CHAPTER XII MATRIX FLAG: NON-REFERENDUM BOND PATTERN — Tier 4 district capable of bond referendum has chosen to add ~$90M GO + ~$40M Alt Rev via private placements and limited-tax structures, avoiding ballot. ACFR MD&A quote: "must be supported by taxpayers through a bond referendum, although New Trier has been fortunate" — i.e., district is aware. NOT illegal — flagged for board-process review and constituent transparency. |
| Requirement | Status |
|---|---|
| Ethics Ordinance adopted (gift ban, prohibited political activity) | NEEDS VERIFICATION in PRESS 2:100 series |
| Ethics training (annual) | NEEDS VERIFICATION |
| Sexual harassment policy training | OK — required by 5 ILCS 430/5-10; PRESS 5:20 |
| Policy | Statute | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Bullying (biennial review) | 105 ILCS 5/10-23.13 | boardpolicyonline.com — PRESS 7:180 |
| Title IX / Sexual Harassment | 105 ILCS 5/24-1.9 | PRESS 2:265 |
| Trauma-Informed practices | 105 ILCS 5/22-80 | PRESS 4:170-AP |
| Mandated Reporter (DCFS) | 325 ILCS 5/4 | PRESS 5:90 |
| Suicide Prevention (Ann Marie's Law / Youth Mental Health) | 105 ILCS 5/2-3.166 | PRESS 7:290 |
| Requirement | Statute | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Oath taken BEFORE assuming duties | 105 ILCS 5/10-16.5 | MUST VERIFY for each member of the post-April-2025 board. Pre-oath votes/acts are ULTRA VIRES. See /legal_research/IL_preoath_compliance_checklist.md |
| PDLT — Professional Development Leadership Training (within 1 year) | 105 ILCS 5/10-16a(a) | NEEDS VERIFICATION via FOIA |
| PERA — Performance Evaluation Reform Act training | 105 ILCS 5/24A-3 | NEEDS VERIFICATION |
| OMA training certificate (within 90 days of oath) | 5 ILCS 120/1.05 | NEEDS VERIFICATION |
Strengths: thorough financial disclosure (10 yrs ACFR/AFR/budgets available publicly); FOIA officer designated; OMA agendas posted via BoardDocs; full policy manual in IASB PRESS-aligned online system.
Audit flags / matters to test:
District: New Trier Township High School District 203 (Cook County, RCDTS 05-016-2030-17)
County: Cook
District Office (Admin HQ / Northfield Campus): Northfield, IL 60093
Winnetka Campus: Winnetka, IL 60093
Service area townships/villages: Winnetka, Wilmette, Glencoe, Kenilworth, Northfield, parts of Glenview (north shore Cook County)
Seed: https://www.newtrier.k12.il.us
Source for member roster: https://www.newtrier.k12.il.us/our-district/board-of-education/board-of-education-directory (captured 2026-05-16; raw_pages/board_directory.html)
Note: Per task rules, only city/township is recorded (no street addresses). All board members are reachable through the district admin line 847-784-6108. Board members serve unpaid 4-year staggered terms per 105 ILCS 5/10-10; consolidated April elections per 10 ILCS 5/2A.
| # | Name | Role | City/Township | Phone (district) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jean Hahn | Board President | New Trier Twp / Northfield admin contact | 847-784-6108 | Board Directory page (HTML extract) |
| 2 | Sally Tomlinson | Board Vice President | New Trier Twp | 847-784-6108 | Board Directory page |
| 3 | Avik Kumar Das | Board Member | New Trier Twp | 847-784-6108 | Board Directory page |
| 4 | Joo Serk Lee | Board Member | New Trier Twp | 847-784-6108 | Board Directory page |
| 5 | Courtney McDonough | Board Member | New Trier Twp | 847-784-6108 | Board Directory page |
| 6 | Sally Pofcher | Board Member | New Trier Twp | 847-784-6108 | Board Directory page |
| 7 | (vacant / not displayed on public directory at capture) | Member | New Trier Twp | 847-784-6108 | See Board Directory + most recent organizational meeting agenda in agendas_minutes/2017plus/ |
Notes on the seventh seat: 105 ILCS 5/10-10 requires a 7-member board. The public Board of Education Directory at capture date listed six named directors plus officer designations. Recent post-April-2025-consolidated-election Regular and Special Board agendas (in agendas_minutes/2017plus/) record any appointments/resignations and the seating of any newly elected member.
Source: https://www.newtrier.k12.il.us/our-district/administrative-team (captured 2026-05-16; raw_pages/admin_team.html)
Two-campus model: Winnetka Campus (junior/senior; full-size 4-year HS facility) and Northfield Campus (freshman campus + district HQ at 7 Happ Road, Northfield).
City/township only per task rule.
| Role | Name | Campus / Office | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Superintendent | Dr. Peter Tragos | Northfield (Admin HQ) | 847-784-6109 |
| Deputy Superintendent | Dr. Chris Johnson | Northfield (Finance/Operations + FOIA Officer) | 847-784-3408 |
| Asst Supt for Curriculum & Instruction | Dr. Chimille Tillery | Winnetka | 847-784-2270 |
| Asst Supt for Special Education & Student Services | Dr. Joanne Panopoulos | Northfield | 847-784-2205 |
| Chief Human Resources Officer | Dr. Nashwa Mekky | Northfield | 847-784-2211 |
| Chief Technology Officer | Dr. Michael Marassa | Winnetka | 847-784-2360 |
| Chief Communications Officer | Niki Dizon | Northfield | 847-784-2666 |
| Director of Curriculum and Instruction | Dr. Melissa Dudic | Winnetka | 847-784-2207 |
| Director of Business Services / CSBO function | Myron Spiwak | Northfield (Business Office, Room A406) | 847-784-2660 |
| Director of Physical Plant Services | Jim Maile | Northfield | 847-784-2071 |
| Athletic Director | Augie Fontanetta | Winnetka | 847-784-2226 |
| Role | Name | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Winnetka Campus Principal / Assistant Superintendent | Denise Dubravec | 847-784-2200 |
| Associate Principal for Academics and Administrative Services | Dr. Daniel Weidner | 847-784-2215 |
| Associate Principal Student Services | Christopher Mitchell | 847-784-2219 |
| Assistant Principal – Graduating Class | Trish Sheridan | 847-784-2221 |
| Assistant Principal – Graduating Class | Sarah Struebing | 847-784-2222 |
| Assistant Principal – Graduating Class | Scott Williams | 847-784-(see directory) |
| Role | Name | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Principal – Northfield Campus | Paul Waechtler | 847-784-7501 |
| Associate Principal – Northfield Campus | Dan Paustian | 847-784-7503 |
| Assistant Principal – Graduating Class | Matt Koulentes | 847-784-7586 |
Illinois Statewide School District Compliance & Equity Audit 2026 | auditor@illinoisschooldistrict.org | IllinoisSchoolDistrict.org