The Community was updated earlier this month on a strategic plan underway by the Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202.
Dr. Glenn Wood, Superintendent of Schools, Board of Education members, and district administrators led a group of about 50 through six questions related to the plan goals at the recent session.
“The school board’s five-year strategic plan is reviewed annually to update the community on the progress,” said Wood.
“The annual review is essential and builds a shared district vision of significant goals and hopes for the future for the next five years as district staff update the plan.”
The community and Board of Education also give direction and help determine how and where to use future resources based on the review process, Wood said.
District 202 serves approximately 25,000 students each year from a 64-square mile area serving parts of Bolingbrook; Crest Hill; Joliet; Lockport; Naperville; Plainfield; Romeoville; and unincorporated Will and Kendall counties. It is the fifth largest public school system in Illinois by enrollment, behind the City of Chicago, Elgin, Rockford and Indian Prairie (Aurora/Naperville).
According to Wood, the school district began work on the strategic plan in 2020. The process was delayed because of the pandemic, and work resumed in fall 2022.
In December 2022, the Board of Education approved plan objectives and goals after a community survey, board member planning sessions, and a two-day community engagement process.
Areas of focus in the strategic plan, according to Wood, are finance and facilities; human resources; public relations/community engagement; student services/outcomes; curriculum and instruction; and technology.
During the annual review meeting on Jan. 11, each district department had a table where attendees discussed specific questions related to that department.
Groups answered questions including what the biggest opportunities for the district are moving forward; where has the district fallen short of expectations; what communication methods are most effective for sharing updates; and if parents feel the strategic plan reflects the needs and priorities of the community, according to Wood.
The next step for the school district is for the administration to consolidate the comments from the annual review and update the strategic plan online in the coming weeks, Wood added. The administration will then update the board at an upcoming public board meeting.
One of the anticipated discussions is possible district boundary changes, according to the superintendent. In August 2023, District 202 hired RSP and Associates to study the district and lay the framework for future boundary changes. He said the Board of Education will establish boundary criteria and guiding principles in late February.
These criteria include contiguous attendance areas; students impacted; demographics; how long the boundaries will last; busing; finances; neighborhoods intact; enrollment projections; and using buildings effectively, he said.
The public can give input on boundary changes in August or fall of this year.
The Board of Education could vote on the changes by fall 2025 with those changes taking place in the 2026-2027 school year.
