In 2017, District 186 embarked on an ambitious two-year journey to create a comprehensive master plan, paving the way for a successful sales-tax referendum. This endeavor required the coordination and cooperation of numerous entities – each with their own unique mission – uniting for a common goal: shaping a brighter future for the district.
Through extensive community engagement, the district harnessed the power of input, opinions, and feedback to shape a master plan grounded in the strongest possible information.
Over the course of nine community meetings, six facilitation team meetings, and ten ward meetings, a vision for the future of District 186 took shape. More than 1,000 stakeholders played an active role in this process, ensuring diverse perspectives influenced the final plan.
The resulting plan offers a comprehensive roadmap for the district's future. It carefully considers the cost/benefit analysis of proposed improvements for every building, ensuring each dollar will be spent judiciously.
View the Implementing Vision presentation here to learn more.
The district faced numerous challenges, including a pressing need for a comprehensive understanding of building needs across its 34 aging facilities. As a large urban district, infrastructure was crumbling, and a lack of equity in resources was evident. There was an urgent need to create future-focused learning environments, moving beyond the reliance on portable classrooms that dotted many buildings. Addressing these issues was critical to providing students with the modern, equitable educational spaces they deserved.
The successful passage of the 1% sales-tax referendum marked a major triumph, generating over $200 million in funding for the district. This influx of resources paved the way for transformative improvements, addressing long-standing challenges and shaping a brighter future for students and the community alike.
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.
Through renovations and an addition to a 1950s-era building on a tight city footprint, an engaging, innovative and inviting high school, focused on providing modern facilities to support digital learning, academic achievement and fine arts and athletic excellence was developed. While the student population was highly achieving, the existing school did not reflect the student merit.
Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School (BBCHS) has been a cornerstone of the Bradley, Bourbonnais, and St. George communities for over 70 years. Built in 1948 to serve 300 students, the campus now supports nearly 2,000 students in grades 9–12. While the District maintained its facilities well, aging infrastructure and evolving educational needs created significant challenges.
The Community Engagement Planning Process with Meridian CUSD #15 resulted in a clear direction, to reduce the number of campuses from four to two and concentrate resources to make these remaining two campuses healthy, safe, and educationally relevant.