District Challenges:

Need for a comprehensive understanding of building needs
Large urban district with aging facilities & infrastructure (34 facilities)
Lack of equity
Need for future-focused learning environments
Portable classrooms at many buildings

Outcomes:

Passage of 1% Sales-Tax
Referendum, generating $200+
million in funding for the district

9 community meetings, attended by over 1,000 interested stakeholders!

Bringing a district TOGETHER

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 in support of its educational mission.

Over the course of 9 Community Meetings, 6 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 takes into account the cost/benefit analysis of every building’s improvements to ensure that every dollar that the district planned to spend was used wisely.

bringing a district together

9 Community
Meetings

Over 1000 attendees

6 Facilitation Team Meetings

21 team members

10 Ward
Meetings

Neighborhood meetings

PROCESS RESULT: Passage of a 1% county-wide sales tax referendum, generating 200+ million in funding for the district.

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.