The Board of Education of Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 at its February 24, 2022 meeting confirmed the appointment of Mrs. Alicia Schmeisser as the Director of Student Services effective July 1, 2022. Schmeisser will take over for Dr. Lea Anne Frost, who is set to retire after spending over three decades in Special Education, the last four years of which were spent in District 64.
Schmeisser began her career in 2008 as a social worker at Henking Elementary School in District 34. From 2013-2016, Mrs. Schmeisser served as a Teacher on Assignment at Attea and Springman Middle Schools, fulfilling the duties of an assistant principal and has served as the Director of Student Services in Pennoyer School District 79.
“I believe Alicia will take the foundation Dr. Frost laid in District 64 and continue to grow the Special Education Department” stated District 64 Superintendent Dr. Eric Olson.
Schmeisser currently oversees all Preschool, EL, and Special Education programs in District 79. She has also led District 79’s PBIS (positive behavior intervention system) team in supporting the social, emotional, and behavior goals, designed and implemented with staff a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) to advance the academic, social, and emotional needs of students, and expanded District 79’s structured learning programs to be included on the continuum of services offered through the Leyden Area Special Education Cooperative.
Schmeisser earned her Bachelors of Liberal Arts and Services from the University of Illinois in 2006, her Masters of Social Work from the University of Southern California in 2008, Masters in Educational Leadership from the University of Illinois in 2013, and the Director of Special Education Endorsement from Illinois State University (ISU) in 2020. Schmeisser is currently working towards her Doctorate in Educational Administration at ISU which is anticipated in 2024.