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.
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Passage of a 1% county-wide sales tax referendum, generating 200+ million in funding for the district.
After completing a community engagement process and passing a referendum, this district’s iconic, historic building received much needed upgrades. This high-achieving district now features facilities that are up to par with their high-quality academic, fine arts and athletic performance standards.
Faced with outdated high school facilities, an extensive community engagement planning process identified and assisted in prioritizing needs; ensuring a successful plan.
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.