Craig Meadows of Studio GC presented an informational update to the Plainfield District 202 Board of Education on a proposed community-engagement process to prioritize potential capital projects and funding strategies. Meadows said Studio GC is working with a team that includes Acuity Research and Public Communications Inc. to gather demographic, quantitative and qualitative data about district priorities.
Meadows listed projects the team is investigating: a possible new middle school, capital improvements at district schools (fields, roofs, media centers), a career-technical education center similar to the Wilco Area Career Center, an 18–22 transition center currently outsourced to Joliet Junior College, and an early-childhood or elementary facility under study. He said the team will produce cost estimates and recommended funding approaches so the district can present accurate information to the community.
On funding, Meadows described two primary pathways the district may consider: a general-obligation (building) bond and increasing the district's limiting tax rate. He said the team will design a statistically valid community survey to gauge public support, refine survey questions based on board feedback, and synthesize survey and demographic results into a recommended outreach strategy.
Meadows said the process includes board interviews, randomized surveys, focus groups with community stakeholders (PTOs and other local groups), and periodic progress updates to the board. He emphasized that the next steps are survey design, cost-estimate development, and working with administration to approve survey instruments; he said the consultants will return with recommendations and quarterly updates.
The presentation was informational; the board's finance committee received earlier briefings and the board did not take formal action at the meeting. Meadows said a properly designed survey helps the board understand whether proposed projects align with community priorities before any funding decision is pursued.