District 202 hosted the Illinois State Board of Education for its monthly meeting on Wednesday, March 12, 2025.
Board of Education President Rod Westfall invited the ISBE and Illinois State School Superintendent Dr. Tony Sanders to host a board meeting in District 202.
The ISBE hosts two meetings a year at Illinois school districts. The board typically meets in Springfield.
The six board members, Sanders and many state board education department staff members, toured Bonnie McBeth Early Learning Center, Central Elementary School, Drauden Point Middle School, Plainfield High School-Central Campus, and the Wilco Area Career Center.
District administrators across all departments - curriculum and instruction, community relations, administration and personnel, and business and operations - contributed to the presentation.
Westfall said he is proud of what District 202 is doing and wanted to show that work to the state board.
"Our staff, educators, administrators work hard to make our schools great spaces to learn,” he said.
State board members and staff asked staff questions and interacted with students on the tours.
They saw the new Incubator classroom at PHSCC, saw special education programs at Bonnie McBeth, and visited with Central Elementary School first-grade teacher Alyssa Milano who earned a Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching last year.
Four student ambassadors - Malcolm Henes, sophomore, Plainfield South High School, Anushka Menon, senior, Plainfield North High School, Leilany Corna, sophomore, and Grace Newberry, junior from PHSCC - also helped guide the tours.
Dr. Donna Leak, ISBE Vice-Chairwoman, toured PHSCC, which included the Incubator entrepreneur classroom, culinary arts, choir, and a Battle of the Books contest.
“To see the intentionality of all the adults about creating a well-rounded child,” she said during the board meeting. “You all really live your mission (We Prepare Learners for the Future.)”
Board member Laura Gonzalez toured Central Elementary School and praised teacher collaboration which benefits all students.
“You can truly tell that there is passion here and that the teachers and administrators that are here want to be here,” she said.