Kristen Weikle

The revenue from the countywide sales tax will help to pay the debt off, but that will not roll in before the summer when repairs are most needed.

The Bloomington-Normal branch of the NAACP held an election forum on Saturday that included the candidates for the municipal election on April 1, as well as information on the proposed countywide school sales tax referendum.

The Unit 5 and District 87 school boards and several other districts in McLean County have voted to put a sales tax referendum on the April 1 ballot. The proposed 1% sales tax would raise money for school facilities, school resource officers, and mental health programming.

Unit 5 is celebrating the results of its annual school report card and focusing on schools that need improvement.

Six Unit 5 schools have earned the highest rating on the Illinois State Report Card this year — the largest number of "exemplary" schools for the district since the current system began in 2017.

The Unit 5 board of education on Wednesday approved $222 million budget for 2024-2025 with a balanced education fund, but a transportation fund deficit that could widen.

Unit 5 superintendent Kristen Weikle said the district's overall head count is stable at about 12,300, but a growing number of those children lack permanent housing. The district is experiencing a near 10% increase in homeless students this school year.

The district is using more flexible zones where students can be assigned to multiple schools. This, along with portable classrooms, will be used to balance a growing student population.

The district is adding new language regarding mandatory reporting of incidents, in compliance with state requirements.

The plan highlights improving academic outcomes, maintaining strong staff, and connecting to the community. In addition to a unanimously positive vote, the board praised the plan as a living document to account for unforeseen changes.