District 181 is committed to providing its students with a premier educational experience that prepares them for success in a rapidly changing world. This commitment is reflected in our comprehensive strategic plan. This roadmap guides our district's growth and ensures we equip our students to be critical thinkers and enable them to achieve their full potential academically, socially, and emotionally.

The original comprehensive strategic plan, developed in 2016, provided the foundation and framework for the Strategic Plan 2.0. This updated version takes into account the core focus from the community and those components that are essential to becoming an elite school district.   

Recent Highlights: 

• Academic 

  • Three Blue Ribbon awards (9 Total)

  • Multiple PLC at Work designation schools (The Lane, Prospect, and Elm)

  • Top 1% of schools in Illinois on IAR proficiency scores

  • Multiple schools i-Ready Super Stretch designation

  • Executed on the five year Curriculum Review Process

  • Established a five-year MTSS (Multi-tiered Systems of Support) review process that monitors and addresses academic and social-emotional support needs

• Human Resources

  • 96% five-year average teacher retainment rate *excludes retirements

  • 92% five-year average administration retainment rate *excludes retirements

  • Created a five-year staffing plan

  • Developed and continuously updated a recruitment and retention plan

• Business & Operations

  • The Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO) awarded Community Consolidated School District 181 the Meritorious Budget Award (MBA) for excellence in budget presentation for the past three years. The MBA award promotes and recognizes best budget presentation practices in school districts.

  • D181 Business Office wins 20th Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting for high-quality financial records, exceeding National Council on Governmental Accounting standards. This award showcases D181's commitment to transparency and is valued by credit rating agencies.

  • Maintain balanced and sustainable short (Quarterly meetings) and long term budgets (5-year plan).

  • Continuously updated the 5-year Maintenance and Facilities plan

• Communications, Partnerships, and Safety

  • Average 78% open rate on communications sent from the district

  • Over 48% parent participation on the district Comprehensive School Climate Inventory (CSCI) survey.

  • Established monthly meetings with PTO presidents and PTO Communications/PR representatives

  • Worked closely with safety agencies and implemented a police presence program

  • Continuously monitored and ensured that safety procedures are in place

Strategic Plan 2.0 Components:

• The revised plan maintained the core structure of four pillars and strategic goals/objectives format.

  • Academic Success: Maximize the academic and social-emotional growth of each student

  • Organizational Excellence: Attract, develop, and retain high quality staff 

  • Operational Integrity: Ensure fiscal stability and appropriate resources for programming and facilities

  • Culture of Community & Safety: Engage all stakeholders though carious communication efforts and collaboration. Closely monitor the safety of students and staff.

Additional Notes

• Importantly, "safety" was added to the Culture of Community pillar, reflecting its increased focus. 

• The updates enhanced clarity on upcoming initiatives and progress metrics, ensuring that we remained a "lighthouse school district." 

• The 2.0 Strategic Plan was updated with the Board of Education.

Historical Aspect to the Strategic Plan:  

• Launched in 2016, the Strategic Plan created an improvement framework for District 181. 

• Collaboratively developed with the Board of Education, ECRA Group Inc and key stakeholders.