Board Highlights are meant to provide highlights of each Board of Education meeting, and are not intended to be an all-inclusive recap. Please click on this link to view a complete recording of the August 14, 2024, Board of Education meeting.

The Community Unit School District 200 Board of Education voted last night to proceed with a referendum seeking voter approval to address significant infrastructure needs at three of our middle schools: Franklin, Monroe, and Edison.

The community’s plan will now appear on our ballots in the November 5th election for final approval. This $151.5 million referendum would result in an average tax decrease of $71 per year in the bond and interest fund for the average district homeowner!

If approved by the community, this plan would:

• Improve Safety & Security in Our Middle Schools

• Ensure Healthy & Accessible Buildings for All Students

• Provide Our Middle Schoolers 21st Century Learning Environments

And because of our district’s fiscal responsibility, we have a unique opportunity to implement the community’s plan to modernize our middle schools while giving our taxpayers even more property tax relief. As the district has diligently paid off old debt, we are able to re-issue a portion of that debt amount to complete the effort to update our middle schools while letting the remainder fall off, reducing the Bond and Interest Fund tax rate for our residents. In addition, the district will be paying these bonds off in just 15 years, saving our taxpayers up to $85 million in interest compared to longer financing options.

The referendum will improve safety & security in Franklin, Monroe, and Edison Middle Schools. This will ensure a more secure environment for students and teachers including improved sight lines in hallways, upgraded camera systems, and updated door entry systems.

The referendum will significantly improve our middle school infrastructure, mechanicals, and accessibility. This includes safer, updated, and more energy efficient school buildings through investments in infrastructure and mechanicals, including roofing, electrical systems, fire alarm systems, plumbing, HVAC units, lighting, ceilings, flooring, and finishings. It also includes more accessible buildings to increase ADA compliance and improve safety for students.

The referendum will also improve learning environments for our middle schoolers, better supporting today’s and tomorrow’s curriculum, optimizing hands-on learning, and further improving student outcomes. This includes modernized science lab classrooms with more space and improved features and furniture. It also includes increased space in some classrooms that are too small as well as optimized and dedicated spaces for co-curricular classes such as STEM and elective courses. It optimizes special education spaces to provide more support and life skill instruction for students. And it renovates and improves music spaces, library learning centers, indoor athletic spaces, and student wellness spaces.

This community-driven plan to modernize our middle schools would provide safer and more secure buildings with learning spaces that support the rigorous curriculum our community expects and deserves. It would build pride in our middle school buildings. It would bring parity to our four middle schools, giving all students the same quality learning opportunities. It could also provide welcoming spaces for the community. And all this can be accomplished without a tax increase—in fact, with a reduction in our Bond and Interest Fund tax rate, for the third time in five years.

We look forward to discussing this plan further with you over the next several months.

Sincerely,

Dr. Jeff Schuler
District 200 Superintendent of Schools

During its meeting, the Board approved the 2024-25 Work Plan Priorities, which were reviewed by the Board during an oral report at the July meeting.

CUSD 200 has utilized strategic planning as a tool to guide the work of the District and School Board. Each year, the metrics identified on the Vision 2026 Strategic Plan Dashboard are monitored, and results are reported to the Board of Education throughout the year at board meetings. Additionally, specific work plans related to the Vision 2026 Strategies are identified each year to identify areas of focus in the Vision 2026 Strategic Plan. Each summer, the Board of Education reviews and provides input on the Strategies for the upcoming school year.

The approved plans will support development of School Improvement Plans and work plans for the upcoming school year.

At their meeting, the Board approved four revised policies for public review and comment. To view the revised policies, click here. Questions or comments can be directed to Matt Biscan, Assistant Superintendent for Administrative Services, at matthew.biscan@cusd200.org or 630-682-2015.