New Trier looking to withdraw from special-education coop — and it’s not the only one

Close to 70 years after New Trier High School helped form the special education cooperative now known as the TrueNorth Education Cooperative, administrators are recommending the district withdraw from it.

If approved at next month’s School Board meeting, the proposed withdrawal from TrueNorth, which provides special education services to 18 school districts in Cook and Lake counties, could take effect June 30, 2027.

New Trier Associate Superintendent Dr. Chris Johnson said at Monday’s School Board meeting that a number of factors went into the recommendation to withdraw from TrueNorth, which was founded in 1959 as the North Suburban Special Education District, or NSSED.

A primary reason is the district is confident it can provide most of the services for which they once relied on TrueNorth.

“Over time, our usage of TrueNorth has declined as the district has built a comprehensive special education program that we’re quite proud of,” Johnson said.

He later added that about 17% of New Trier students have individual education plans.

“These students are served by a highly qualified team of New Trier staff at the Northfield campus, Winnetka campus and Transition Center we recently established in Glencoe,” he said. “These services are fully managed by district staff and will not be impacted by the proposed withdrawal from TrueNorth.”

Johnson said six current New Trier students use TrueNorth services, either through placements in TrueNorth programs or the use of the cooperative’s physical and occupational therapists.

New Trier isn’t the only TrueNorth member district that has decided to withdraw from the cooperative. According to Johnson, Glenview D24 and Glenbrook D225 will both withdraw in June 2026, while Winnetka D36 and Glencoe D35 reportedly will follow New Trier’s timeline of withdrawal.

He said that New Trier pays $1.3 million annually to TrueNorth, which includes a $400,000 membership fee that he said is expected to increase with the number of large school districts leaving the cooperative.

While the district is recommending withdrawal, Johnson said that doesn’t necessarily mean New Trier won’t continue to use a special education cooperative.

“We’re working closely with our sender districts to establish a more unified, effective approach for special education across our township,” he said. “A coordinated effort with our sender districts will allow us to provide the best possible educational program for these students.”

Johnson went on to say that the recommendation to withdraw was not taken lightly.

“The cooperative brought meaningful benefit to our students,” he said. “It also helped us build our own special education department, and the district no longer requires the complete services of TrueNorth to effectively serve our students.”

At the same time, he said that New Trier wants to make sure that the districts who choose to remain with TrueNorth aren’t negatively impacted, while adding that the district could reverse its decision to withdraw should circumstances change.

“We’re committed to continue to collaborate with other TrueNorth member districts to determine if there’s a viable way to restructure the cooperative to meet the needs of member districts going forward in a fiscally sustainable manner,” Johnson said. “And if a new model can be developed, it is possible New Trier may decide to remain a member in the cooperative.

“And it’s really important that we are a good neighbor to our school district peers in this process and a good member of TrueNorth,” Johnson continued. “This is a difficult and complicated process, and we want to make sure we’re communicating our respect to the TrueNorth staff who have worked on our behalf for many years, and to the other member districts, some of whom have seen the impact on how the cooperative can support them if it’s a cooperative with fewer districts.”

Board member Courtney McDonough acknowledged the “tricky situation” New Trier is in.

“We want to be strong financial stewards of the district’s taxpayer money, and we also want to make sure that every single student’s needs are being met,” she said. “And I really want to acknowledge that TrueNorth offers essential services for kids all the way from early childhood experience to early adults in transition.”

In response to a question from McDonough, Johnson said for the services that New Trier currently utilizes TrueNorth for, the district may hire someone to fill those positions, or they may partner with a sender school for shared staff members.

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