Kristen Weikle

The approved item avoids displacing students at Carlock or Glenn Elementary and adds no new taxes to pay for facility construction costs.

A committee of school board members and educators completed a multi-year process related to enrollment realignment on Thursday when it presented a final recommendation to the school board. That recommendation avoids two of the most controversial options the district considered.

Unit 5 Superintendent Kristen Weikle presented details of the proposed plan during a virtual meeting Thursday night.

At least eight community members spoke in support of Matt Chapman, a Normal Community High School civics teacher and girls soccer coach.

Unit 5 Superintendent Kristen Weikle provided updates about the Normal-based school district during an interview on WGLT's Sound Ideas.

Superintendent Kristen Weikle told the board she intends to retire at the end of the 2029-30 school year. That would take her to the end of the five-year contract the board approved in August.

District 87 changed its policy for Bloomington High School that bans cell phones throughout the school day. Unit 5 refreshed its policy to keep student phones away during class in all but a few circumstances.

Chief Financial Officer Marty Hickman presented an outline of the budget for the 2026 fiscal year during Wednesday's school board meeting.

The Trump administration is withholding billions of dollars in grant funding for schools across the U.S. The Unit 5 school district is waiting on almost $1 million.

Public school educators got some of what they wanted in the new state budget, but McLean County superintendents say there are still some issues left unresolved — such as transportation costs.