Panther Families,
We hope that everyone had a happy Thanksgiving and is looking forward to Christmas Break - only 3 weeks left!
Our next big event is our Madrigals performance, which is the longest running event of its kind in Illinois! The full dinner experience is $25, and you can buy tickets through the high school office or Mrs. Wells (wellsb@leroyk12.org) for 12/6 at 6:00 or 12/7 at 1:00. If you cannot make dinner, check out the Tour of the Castle at 1:00 or 2:00 on 12/6. For only $5 at the door, you can tour the Leroyshire decorations, listen to short performances by the Madrigal cast, and enjoy snacks, dessert, and refreshments.
Our Student Achievement
In lieu of traditional snow days, we will be utilizing remote learning days this year. This means if we have a day where we cannot attend due to inclement weather, students will have remote work to do and we will not make the day up at the end of the school year. Each building and classroom teacher has or will communicate remote learning information and expectations. The intent is not to create an unmanageable work day or take away a snow day from kids, but rather to provide reasonable continuity to learning and predictability to our end of year calendar.
Congratulations to our Illinois State Scholars and National Honor Society inductees! These are two outstanding honors for our high school students.
Illinois State Scholars receive this prestigious designation from the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) based on Junior year ACT scores and 6th semester GPA - Laila Carr, Alyssa Davis, Kenly Downey, Sam Edmundson, Morgan Fleming, Sofia Hernandez-Estrada, Isaiah Schertz, and Molly Scheuer
National Honor Society Inductees - Annie Conn, Alyssa Davis, Macy Dean, Peyton Ford, Jacey Hageman, Sofia Hernandez-Estrada, Sadee Owens, Molly Scheuer, Nellie Smith, Gabe Sutter, Madison Timm, and Chloe Warlow. Current members - Laila Carr, Morgan Fleming, Kinzie Moreland, Isaiah Schertz, Henry Thayn, and Emma Wiechman
Our Community Relations
As we enter the holiday season, we want to express our gratitude to all the community members and organizations that support our students and families throughout the year. We are often asked how people can help families in need, especially during this time of year. LeRoy Schools partners closely with local initiatives and organizations to provide assistance, and we encourage you to support these same community efforts.
One meaningful way to help is by participating in the Kiwanis Angel Trees located at businesses around town or by donating to the Kiwanis Food Bank. You can also support families by taking part in charitable events hosted by local groups—such as the recent Lady Panther Basketball and Key Club Give Back Night, where food donations and event proceeds benefited the LeRoy Kiwanis Food Bank. Additionally, our Pre-K students dedicated their 10th Annual Panther Care Cheer Change Drive to this cause, helping children and families right here in our community.
Our Facilities
LeRoy School District 2 (CUSD #2) has become the first in McLean County to partner with the county’s Emergency Telephone System Board (ETSB) to create advanced, data-rich digital school maps designed to improve emergency response times. These GIS-based tactical maps go beyond standard floor plans by including real-time details such as room numbers, entry points, camera locations, medical equipment, fire safety features, lockdown zones, and allow emergency responders to locate the exact location of a 911 call from a cell phone. The secure maps are accessible only to 911 dispatchers and first responders, who can view them en route to emergencies for faster, more informed action.
Seconds Save Lives - New maps help first responders reach schools faster
Our Finance
Property values in McLean County continue to rise, with an estimated 9% increase in EAV this year—the largest share coming from residential property growth. While this increase strengthens both school and community resources, we recognize our responsibility to balance providing high-quality services for students with being good stewards of taxpayer dollars. We continue to maintain one of the lowest school tax rates in McLean County and, as promised, are using one-third of the revenue from the County Schools Facility Tax (CSFT) to further reduce that rate.
This fiscal year, we expect to receive approximately $772,500 in CSFT revenue. One-third of that amount—about $257,500—will be applied toward our bond and interest payments, reducing the amount we need to levy. As a result, we estimate that our tax rate will decrease by at least 25 cents with our December levy for Fiscal Year 2027. The CSFT is the primary factor allowing us to lower our rate from $5.29 to $5.04.
Although the tax rate will decrease, property values continue to rise. This means taxpayers will see a lower bill than they would have without the rate reduction, but it will still be higher than last year due to increased property values. Last year, the Board of Education passed a resolution formalizing our annual commitment to allocate one-third of CSFT revenue toward property tax abatement.
Jeff Baughman
Superintendent
Go Panthers!
Key Upcoming Dates
December 5
No School - School Improvement Day
December 19
Last Day of Student Attendance Before Break
December 22 - January 5
No School - Winter Break
January 6 - Tuesday
School Resumes from Winter Break - Monday, January 5th is a School Improvement Day
Involved Community - Competitive Students - Productive Citizens