This story is being updated and developed as decisions are being made. We do our best to keep it as accurate and recent as possible!
March 18, 2026 Update
The school board meeting on Mar. 18, 2026 lasted until 3 am the next morning.
The primary focus was enrollment planning updates. This meeting included the final proposal of recommendations to the Board of Education.
The Board is set to vote on Apr. 15, 2026.
There are still two proposals the Board will be considering as stated previously.
Proposal one will cost between $3.15-45.9 million with $1.5-2.4 million in annual savings.
This proposal also adheres to more Enrollment Planning Criteria, with only proximity and contiguous zone partially achieved.
In contrast, the second proposal has partially achieved four Enrollment Planning Criteria: improved building utilization, proximity, busing efficiency, and contiguous zone.
It would cost $32.3-45.3 million to implement, but would only result in $122K for annual savings.
Both proposals would not be entirely completed until the 2029-30 school year.
Most changes in both proposals would occur in the 2027-28 school year.
The school board meeting lasted so long into the night because of the welcomed space for public comments which many community members took advantage of to share their opinions.
March 2, 2026 Update
Following the public hearing on Feb. 19 at 6 p.m. at Parkside Junior High School, Unit 5 has shared the latest district line plans with locals.
At the meeting, the data company the district is working with, Cropper GIS, presented two draft proposals created by the Internal Planning Team.
In addition, viewers were able to see and ask questions about maps and statistics related to the enrollment proposals.
The two proposals are more similar than they are different.
Both proposals include moving students from Normal Community High School to Normal Community West High school, relieving Evans Junior High School from excess students, and multiple elementary school zoning changes (Sugar Creek, Benjamin, Colene Hoose).
The proposals differ on three key points.
Proposal 1:
- Close Carlock Elementary
- Repurpose Glenn Elementary and move students to Sugar Creek
- Pepper Ridge elementary students will attend Parkside Junior High
Proposal 2:
- New Early Learning facility will be added on to Eugene Field
- Carlock Elementary enrollment adjustment–Open Attendance will increase enrollment
- Pepper Ridge elementary students will attend Kingsley Junior High
- The Board of Education will vote on a proposal on April 15, 2026.
To view more information about the proposals and public information hearing slideshows visit the Unit 5 Enrollment Planning Page.
To add your input, complete the district’s online survey by Sunday, March 1, 2026.
Feb. 6, 2026 Update
Unit 5’s enrollment planning study is continuing after its last examination.
The district is reevaluating its boundaries, which have changed due to the community’s growth and development.
To avoid the increased need for portable classrooms and general overcrowding, the district looks to implement changes to boundaries and building use.
“We’re trying very hard to avoid portables at one of our junior highs next year. So when you have to add portables, that’s kind of a sign that maybe you need to reexamine your boundaries. It’s been more than 10 years since we’ve last looked at boundaries,” Superintendent of Unit 5 schools, Dr. Kristen Kendrick-Weikle, stated.
At this time, an internal planning committee is taking the time to narrow down topics for their evaluations.
The district is most concerned with the specific and growing needs of the students in district.
“Our English language learner population has increased significantly since we last looked at boundaries. So where are those programs currently housed? Do the needs of those students and staff look different? If so, how might we plan for the future?” Weikle added.
With these ideas, the district can easily pinpoint the exact changes it needs to make.
The district aims to take a “bigger picture look” at the entire community rather than focusing on specific schools.
Although minor shifts might take effect more immediately, significant changes won’t occur until the 26-27 school year.
“…So it’s unlikely that [changes] would happen for the [26-27] school year. And I say unlikely because if we’re talking bigger changes where a couple hundred more kids come, we’re probably not going to be able to make that shift between now and next August, because there’s a lot of things that come into play, like staffing, space availability, transportation, all of that,” Weikle shared.
“The earliest that I would anticipate the board would make a decision would be April at the earliest,” Weikle added.
The proposed change is expected to have a big impact on the community, and that is why the district has worked to be very transparent about all proposed changes and adjustments.
“Most people don’t like change, and so anytime you talk about change, it can upset people because maybe that’s not what they had in mind as far as where their students would go to school,” Weikle said.
Weikle said it’s important for the district to be open with the community during the process.
She explained that keeping families informed and involved helps them feel like their opinions matter.
“Knowing how we can try to involve them and keep them informed throughout the process so they feel like they have a say and have some input I think is pretty important,” she said.
Changes like this often come with pushback because they affect so many people, but Unit 5 leaders are also looking at the positives.
One benefit Weikle mentioned is “having new and different students be part of your school community.”
The change wouldn’t just affect families with students currently in Unit 5, but also people who already live within the district.
Weikle pointed out that anyone who plans to stay in the area for years to come could be impacted.
“If you decide to remain in the unit five boundaries in the next five, 10, 15 years, the likelihood of any changes made will impact you in potentially your future families is really high,” she said.
Because of this, the district has to think about how decisions will affect the entire community, not just current students.
Unit 5 holds public meetings to hear feedback from community members and help guide future decisions.
Normal West will likely see an increase in students, as Normal Community has 400+ more students than Normal West, requiring a shift in staff.
“If we take 200 kids hypothetically from Normal Community to Normal West… [and if] Normal Community has that many fewer students, they may not need all those staff members there…so, we’ll have to examine that,” said Weikle.
The plan also aims to reduce transportation issues for students.
The next public session is on February 19th, where the committee will take a look at maps and visuals to give the community another insight into the plans.
The committee is continually looking for any community feedback to add to their plans.
“We’ll describe [multiple] options to the community. We’ll ask for feedback, answer questions that night, but then we’ll follow up with the survey. And then from there, we’re going to take that information and help shape our recommendations that we bring forward to the board at the March Board meeting,” Weikle added.
The recommendations will be presented to the board in March, which will then follow up in April for a final decision.
These decisions will set the stage for the future of education and will likely impact many families and students.
For more information on the enrollment planning process, visit https://www.unit5enrollmentplanning.com/ and be sure to attend the the public hearing on Feb. 19 at 6 p.m. at Parkside Junior High.
