Unit 5 is facing a deficit — a big one that has been growing for years. The district is deep into a public engagement process, gathering opinions on how to deal with the structural budget problem and building public awareness of a potential referendum to address the issue.
The expiring Rivian tax breaks and Uptown TIF district, plus rising home values, will produce more tax money for Unit 5 schools. But none of the three factors will create enough new revenue to meaningfully address the district's budget deficit.
The founder of a not-for-profit that teaches kids about computer programming says he thinks it's important for African American kids to go to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
Applications are open for a scholarship to help students pursuing a career in education. The Mary Rohrscheib teaching scholarship will award $1,000 to the winning applicant for school expenses.
The head of nursing instruction at Illinois Wesleyan University says she hopes a recent negligent homicide conviction of a nurse in Tennessee won't deter students from pursing nursing careers.
The Unit 5 school board expects to vote next month on whether to join a collaborative effort to create standardized incentives in the local enterprise zone.
Unit 5 administrators detailed the consequences of looming financial shortfalls and shared a community wish list of district improvements Tuesday night. Now, they're asking district residents to prioritize those lists — and say what they might be worth.