In 2017, District 186 embarked on a 2-year comprehensive master plan that led to a successful sales-tax referendum. The journey involved the coordination and cooperation of many entities with differing missions uniting for a common goal.
With the community’s input, opinions, and feedback, the district’s plan was shaped with the strongest information possible, supporting its educational mission.
How do we transform a large urban district with aging facilities and infrastructure into equitable, future-focused learning environments, with a comprehensive understanding of building needs?
Through nine Community Meetings, six Facilitation Team Meetings, and 10 Ward Meetings, attended by over 1,000 interested stakeholders, a comprehensive VISION for the future of District 186 emerged. The plan accounts for the cost/benefit analysis of every building’s improvements to ensure that every dollar that the district planned to spend was used wisely.
A Community's VISION
The resulting plan not only helped identify a clear path for addressing all areas of need, but it was also an essential piece of building support for public funding to implement the plan. Following the completion of the plan, Sangamon County overwhelmingly passed a referendum to implement the 1% Facility Sales Tax for school facilities, which had failed in previous elections. The district began implementation in 2019.
|
|
|
|
Passage of a 1% county-wide sales tax referendum, generating 200+ million in funding for the district.
Following a successful year-long master planning process, designed to address concerns of aging infrastructure and facility inequities, Lanphier High School was identified as a top priority for revitalization among the district's three high schools.
Unsure of whether to remodel their historic middle school, build new on the existing site near their current high school, or build new on a different site, the Maroa-Forsyth School District reached out to get community input via BLDD's community engagement process.
The project at New Berlin's Junior/Senior High School will provide modern facilities for all grade levels in the district to learn and grow. The additions and renovations aim to reorganize and enhance core educational spaces, creating a clear sense of place for both junior high and senior high school students. While different grade levels will have age-appropriate spaces, shared areas will be centrally located for easy access.