As part of its ongoing long-term planning efforts, the District 202 Board of Education and administration administered a survey to a sample of the community and hosted several discussion groups to better understand resident priorities and perspectives on long-term planning and possible future funding options.
Key themes and findings from the survey and discussion groups:
- District 202 continues to benefit from strong overall trust, with 67 percent of respondents holding a favorable opinion of the District.
- One in five respondents reported hearing or reading about the possibility of a referendum before completing the survey.
- Residents want more information about the District’s financial outlook, facility priorities and long-term planning.
- Survey respondents and discussion group participants asked for clearer information about why additional funding may be needed and how it would be used.
- Residents were most interested in how future planning would affect students, schools, programs and day-to-day learning.
- Infrastructure improvements and career-focused learning opportunities were among areas that resonated most with residents.
“These findings show that our community values District 202 and wants clear information as we continue planning for the future,” said Dr. Glenn Wood, Superintendent of District 202. “We also heard that residents want to better understand our financial outlook, facility priorities and how any future funding option would support students, schools and programs. That feedback is important as the Board of Education and administration continue this work.”
In addition to planning for critical infrastructure improvements, District 202 is evaluating strategies to address a significant reduction in annual revenue. The District experienced an approximately $7 million funding impact beginning in FY2026, which is projected to increase to approximately $14 million in FY2027 and to continue compounding in future years as the District transitions from Tier 1 to Tier 2 status under Illinois’ Evidence-Based Funding model. At the same time, the District must continue to respond to changing enrollment trends and evolving student needs. This funding shift is placing increasing pressure on the District’s operating budget, which supports classroom instruction, student programs, staffing, transportation, facility operations, and other essential services across the District…