It’s hard to believe the school year is already over.
Staff and student accomplishments
Throughout Spring 2026, our staff and students continued to accomplish great things both in and outside the classroom. Educators across Unit 5 received statewide recognition through the Illinois State Board of Education’s Those Who Excel program, highlighting the outstanding work happening in our schools each day. As part of that recognition, Normal Community High School teacher Mr. Don Whitman was named the East Central Teacher of the Year. Normal West High School Principal Dr. Angie Codron was also recognized at the state level, earning the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Leadership. These honors are a reflection of the amazing Unit 5 educators and staff members who work tremendously hard to support students each day.
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Our students also made their mark, with many musicians traveling across the country to perform on world-renowned stages. We know our music and arts program is exceptional, as the consecutive Best Communities for Music Education award continues to demonstrate, but it’s still incredible to see the impact these students have in the industry. Our academic, sports, and extracurricular groups similarly made local, state, and national headlines, winning state titles and showcasing their respective talents. Normal West Swimming, Normal West Mock Trial, Normal Community’s journalism program, and so many others made history this year, and it’s been my honor to watch these students succeed.
Enrollment planning overview
This semester, we wrapped up our enrollment planning process after several years of studying enrollment trends, facility needs, and community feedback. The work included input from families, staff, and community members, and the changes will be phased in over the next several years.
The study showed that some of our schools need additional space, and that we also need new learning spaces for our youngest students and our 18–22-year-old special services students.
To help address these space and enrollment needs across the district, we made some boundary adjustments at the elementary, junior high, and high school levels. These changes will be implemented over the next several years, and families impacted by the adjustments should have already received communication with additional information and next steps.
We are planning additions at Towanda and Parkside Elementary Schools to help address space and capacity needs in those buildings. We are also exploring options for future spaces for Brigham, which houses early learning students, and Field Special Services, which serves students in our work program and 18–22 transition program. While that could include new construction, we are also considering existing spaces that could be renovated or repurposed to create updated spaces for students and staff.
These projects are an important step in making sure our students have learning spaces that support their needs both now and in the future. We will continue sharing updates as the work progresses and appreciate the partnership, feedback, and support from our families and community throughout the process.
Countywide facilities sales tax funding in action
By next year, some of our schools and facilities will already begin to see improvements thanks to the 1% Countywide School Sales Tax, which voters approved last spring. To date, we’ve received $10,217,082.97, and we are committed to putting those funds to good use while helping limit the burden on taxpayers. Because of this support, we have been able to address important facility needs in addition to being able to abate and avoid increasing property taxes. We are so grateful for the community’s continued support of our schools. Our Unit 5 County School Facilities Tax Dashboard highlights both the growth in revenue and how those funds are being spent.
Our Operations & Maintenance team will be working hard this summer to replace Kingsley Junior High School’s roof and resurface several parking lots across the district. In addition, we are excited to share that both of our high schools will have new outdoor tracks this fall, which may seem like a small change, but will have a significant impact on our high school students. Students in Physical Education can use the tracks in daily exercise, and for the first time in several years, our district can host competitive track meets in-house. Our tracks are also used for many community events, including Special Olympics and the extremely popular summer Kids Run for Fun.
These are just a few of the projects that reflect our continued commitment to maintaining safe, functional, and high-quality schools for students, staff, and the community.
Supporting students in and outside the classroom
We know that students are most successful when they feel supported both in and outside of the classroom. That’s why Unit 5 continues to focus not only on academics, but also on meeting the broader needs of our students and families. One of the biggest examples was the launch of the food pantry at Kingsley Junior High School. Thanks to the generosity of community partners, staff, families, and donors, the pantry served more than 1,000 families during its first year.
We also continue to partner with organizations like the Promise Council, Back to School Alliance, and many other community groups that help provide food, school supplies, clothing, mentorship, and other important resources for our students and families. Their support continues to make a meaningful difference across Unit 5.
