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Board members push to reengage Roadmap 2030, prioritize teachers and accelerate superintendent search

August 20, 2025 | Decatur SD 61, School Boards, Illinois


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Board members push to reengage Roadmap 2030, prioritize teachers and accelerate superintendent search
Board members spent substantial time on Aug. 19 discussing the district's Roadmap 2030 facilities plan and the ongoing superintendent search. Several members said the roadmap should be reframed as an education-first process and reactivated this fall to guide districtwide facility and staffing decisions.

"Roadmap 2030 is not a solution for buildings, but a pathway to education," one board member said, urging the district to decide educational goals first and then make facility decisions. Members said they were concerned a building-focused conversation could lead to piecemeal actions and reiterated the need to center teachers, students and families in planning.

Multiple board members expressed urgency about staffing, particularly teacher shortages, and asked for more direct input from teachers and students during the superintendent search and focus groups. One board member said the timeline for the search should be aggressive and suggested targeting a January hire so the superintendent can help implement Roadmap 2030 decisions.

Board members also raised procurement and contracting concerns, asking administration to review long-standing professional-services contracts such as architecture and legal services to ensure competitive pricing and periodic review periods.

Why it matters: Board members said coordinated facilities planning, tightened contract oversight and an incoming superintendent aligned with community priorities are necessary to address enrollment patterns, staffing shortages and long-term district finances. The board did not take formal action but asked that Roadmap 2030 and the superintendent-search focus groups proceed this fall.

Next steps: Members asked administration to reengage the Roadmap 2030 committee, develop focus-group plans for the superintendent search that prioritize teachers and families, and present contract-review recommendations to the board.

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Scribe from Workplace AI
Scribe from Workplace AI