The Evanston/Skokie School District 65 board will jump-start its planning for next year at its meeting tonight by brainstorming for its 2004-05 annual goals 10 months before that academic year begins.

The goals play a big part in the district’s budget, board member Bob Eder said, so the preliminary discussion will help align the budget with the goals.

“The sooner we establish the goals,” Eder said, “the better it will be for the budget.”

Board member Julie Chernoff said the early date for discussing next year’s goals came from suggestions in the Illinois Association of School Boards’ recommended timeline. The board adopted this year’s goals one month before school began.

“We’re making a concerted effort as a board to do things in a more timely fashion,” Chernoff said.

Though the discussion won’t guarantee that any issues will be addressed on next year’s agenda, some goals from this year that require a long-term commitment before results appear could be on next year’s list, board member Jonathan Baum said.

The goal of improving third-grade reading level could reappear because it requires more than one year to see improvement, Baum said.

Meeting requirements for the No Child Left Behind law was a top goal this year, but Eder said the board may not adopt it again because the state board already mandates the district to meet the act’s requirements.

“Some board members feel that it’s implicit,” Eder said. “Others say it should be stated explicitly.”

Chernoff said she assumed the issue of improving the district’s middle schools likely will be added to next year’s goals. She said the district should make it a priority to focus on continuity from grade school to middle school, continuity of the district’s math programs and communication between the middle schools and Evanston Township High School.

“We’re looking to adjust the culture of middle school,” Chernoff said.

All the goals will take into account the district’s five-year strategic plan, she added.

“It will reflect goals for the community and the school district,” she said.

The board also plans to discuss ideas for assessing the purpose of the district’s magnet schools, a part of the fourth goal for the district this year. The magnet schools are second in a trio of issues addressed by the goal, which also examines racial integration guidelines and the permanent enactment of the Two-Way Immersion program.

Eder said the discussion will look at how the magnet schools will fit into the district.

“Whatever were the reasons at the time it began, we need to ask what’s the purpose of magnet schools in District 65 now?” Eder said, “How do magnet schools fit into the mission of District 65?”

District 65’s two magnet schools are the King Lab School, 2424 Lake St., and Timber Ridge Magnet School, 3701 W. Davis St.

The board will meet at 8 p.m. at the Joseph E. Hill Education Center, 1500 McDaniel Ave., and is open to the public.