Redistricting Maps

Attached are the Redistricting maps that were approved by the Board of Education Wednesday, August 26, 2009. (This is a very large file. Please allow some time to download)

In February 2008, voters approved a $96,700,000 building referendum, which included funds to construct a new junior high school and two new elementary schools.

McLean County Unit District 5 Board of Education and district administrative staff worked last October to establish criteria to help direct the necessary redistricting efforts over the next two years.

The board members and staff each expressed goals/principles they felt must be considered as a redistricting plan is put into place.

The goals they came up with to guide redistricting are:

• Balanced enrollment
  • Jr. Highs and High Schools will establish balanced enrollment by ensuring that their feeder schools have varied demographics.
  • The enrollment balance in Elementary schools will be limited by the commitment to neighborhood schools.
  • Special Education needs and pathways will be considered.
    
•  Neighborhood schools
  • Move as few students as possible, yet acknowledge change may touch every school
  • Especially at the Elementary School level
  • Consider a child’s ability to walk to school when assigning attendance boundaries
  • Assign a child to the nearest school, where possible
• Minimize costs/reasonable travel:
  • Minimize bus costs by using major roads as attendance boundaries where possible
  • Balance busing travel times and costs
  • Minimizing the use of portable classrooms
    
•  Attendance boundaries will recognize future growth
  • Grade level sections will continue to vary according to the educational needs of the classroom
  • Buildings in high growth areas will have classrooms available to allow for increasing attendance
  • Balance free and reduced lunch population where possible
  • Music and Art classrooms will be designated where possible
    
• Stability in attendance areas
  • The District will determine Special Education placement by considering the value of having a specified facility and by clearly defining pathways for each special education student.
  • Acknowledge that changes made during this redistricting effort will not be permanent; the district will likely make more changes in 3-5 years
  • Consider creating a transition plan or building for those students in fourth and fifth grade who will be moved to a new grade school in 2010 then a new middle school in 2012
  • Avoid special arrangements for individual students or “grandfathering”
  • Eliminate all current open attendance areas but maintain an open attendance policy for future use in growth areas
  • Allow for future alternative educational opportunities including the establishment of Attendance Centers and Charter Schools