Dist. 200 preps for State of Our Schools presentation

Editor's note: This article has been corrected to reflect that Wheaton Warrenville Unit District 200's State of Our Schools presentation will take place Wednesday, Sept. 23.

Last year, hundreds of Wheaton Warrenville Unit District 200 community members made clear that they wanted to see the district continue its efforts to engage residents.

"It's important for me to make sure that we honor the feedback we received from the community," said Superintendent Jeff Schuler, referencing the district's six-session Engage200 effort that gathered opinions from the community to help shape the district's future.

Schuler will present the district's first State of Our Schools presentation at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 23, at Hubble Middle School, 3S600 Herrick Road in Warrenville.

"I think this will be a great opportunity for us to connect with the community and share with them what's going on in the district," he said.

Schuler said the first part of the presentation, to be held in the school's auditorium, will give a general overview of "what it is that we're working on as a school district, what our priorities and goals are for this year that we're pursuing." Some topics that will be covered include student achievement, technology and district finances.

The second part of the presentation will focus on the district's facility master plan. Earlier this year, the school board agreed to create a plan that addresses three areas: the physical conditions and deferred maintenance in all the district's buildings; the future of Jefferson Early Childhood Center; and the need for "educational program-driven areas."

At the end of the presentation, attendees will be asked to take a short survey about the plan. Three additional community meetings about the facility master plan, which district officials say will be modeled after Engage200, are scheduled for Dec. 2, Jan. 20 and Feb. 17.

While there will not be opportunities to ask questions in the auditorium, Schuler said guests are welcome to stay afterward and have an informal conversation with him, the architects chosen to help create the facility master plan and district staff in the school's commons.

Schuler said there are plans to make State of Our Schools an annual event. He added that the district sent out mailers advertising this year's presentation and is hopeful many people will be drawn to the event.

"We made every effort to make sure this isn't just about parents with kids," he said. "The educational system is a vital asset to the community and I would hope that everybody is interested in making sure that we've got a strong educational system."