The Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202 is seeking the community’s input to determine if there will be boundary changes for students.
District 202 serves more than 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).
For the first time in more than 25 years, the District 202 Board of Education is conducting a third-party study of student attendance boundaries as part of its 2023-2028 strategic plan.
In August 2023, the school district partnered with RSP & Associates to analyze current boundaries, provide enrollment projections, and recommend potential adjustments to ensure that schools remain safe, effective, and well-prepared for future growth, according to information provided at the board meeting.
The purpose of this study is to support the board, administration, and community in making informed, student-centered decisions that directly support classroom success, according to officials.
School district officials have emphasized that student attendance boundaries may have to be adjusted due to uneven enrollment growth; new housing developments increasing densities in some sections; changing demographics; aging facilities of buildings; and improved transportation efficiency.
As such, the district will host community input nights at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8, in Plainfield East High School, 12001 S. Naperville Road; and at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, in Plainfield Central High School, 24120 W. Fort Beggs Road.
The school board will vote on possible boundary changes at its board meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 17, at a location to be determined.
School district officials reiterate that not every student will be affected by attendance boundary changes. If students are impacted, the new boundaries will take effect at the start of the 2026-2027 school year.
Officials said district administration will follow board policy when considering student assignment and intra-district transfer.
Pedro Garcia of Joliet fears his daughter might have to change buildings if boundary alignments impact her middle school.
“I worry about this because I don’t want my daughter to be separated from teachers, friends and building she loves,” he said. “That is such a detriment to their education and social development.”
