Dupage Policy Journal

Brian O’Keefe, assistant superintendent of Business Operations of Community Unit School District 200, used a recent board meeting discussion on plans for improving middle schools in the district to highlight how members are investing in facilities and going all out in meeting the needs of those they service.

“A reminder, part of our Vision 2026 operational strategy is to ensure that we are investing in our facilities and we're meeting the needs as defined in the facility master plan that was created in 2016,” O’Keefe said at an Oct. 12 board meeting posted on YouTube. “Up really until this point in time, we focused all of our efforts on the elementary and high school side of things. And as I mentioned, last time we were together just about a year ago, Dr. Schuler and I came together to start talking about how we could begin the process of discussing needs surrounding our middle schools since investments have been directed in other places.”

Representatives from Perkins and Will counties who helped create the district’s master facility plan in 2016 were on hand for the meeting to share their thoughts on how best to improve local middle schools. As the meeting unfolded, special attention was given to the three older middle schools in the area, as opposed to the one built just a decade ago.

Going forward, all improvement plans include a combination of capital focus, aesthetic focus and academic focus, along with ensuring investment in visual and environmental quality and functionality for learning. As the meeting progressed, members presented the three areas in each of the three middle schools and showed what they would like to focus on in each building for those three categories. There were many commonalities between all three buildings, though there were also some unique needs for each school.  

Plans also include housing a development team at each of the buildings that will work with the executive team, with members regularly exchanging ideas with each other in hopes of further refining things over time.

As the focus now turns to budgeting concerns and additional meetings scheduled before the end of the year, members hope to be able to present a relatively finalized plan to the board by the end of February.