Panther Families,
May is just around the corner and there are only 16 more days of school. The last day of student attendance is Wednesday, May 20th.
Our Student Achievement
Congratulations to the graduating Class of 2026 - We have no doubt that each of you will be successful in whatever you choose in life. Wherever you go, whatever you do, and no matter how much time passes, you will always be Panthers. Best of luck in your future endeavors!
4th Grade Wax Museum - Thank you to everyone who came to support our students! We had a wonderful turnout, and our students loved sharing their hard work and bringing history to life for our visitors. Because of your generosity, we raised $1,028 through donations collected during the event! Proceeds will go to support our local food pantry.
International Thespian Society Troupe 11015 Inductees - Joslyn Baughman, Ian Bush, Maddi Hearon, Sofia Hernandez, Jase Hobson, Landon Howard, Joey Jackson, Katie Masterson, Emily McAuley, Molly Scheuer, Ben Thayn, Isabel Vance, and Renee Vance
ACES State Competition - Congratulations to Sawyer Ingram – 2nd Place in Engineering Graphics! Our team earned an impressive 13th place overall finish out of 51 schools from throughout the state.
HS Health Class CPR and AED Certification - 45 more LHS students are now certified! This has become a milestone unit in our high school health class. A special thank you to the LeRoy Ambulance Service for making this life-saving certification possible for our students.
Our Community Relations
On Wednesday, May 13th, during our Senior Scholarship Assembly, we will induct Dr. Mary Elizabeth (Betsy) Bane into the LeRoy CUSD #2 Hall of Fame. Dr. Bane is a proud Class of ‘61 LeRoy High School alumnus. In high school, she was in the National Honor Society, a class president, in band, a cheerleader, and active in school activities, including Yearbook Staff. Following graduation, she graduated from the University of Illinois in 1965 with a B.S. Degree in English/Theatre and Education. In 1965-66, Dr. Bane taught English at Lake Park High School in Medinah, IL. The following year she was asked to fill a vacancy in the Counseling Department at LPHS.
Dr. Bane transferred credits from Michigan State to the U of I and finished her Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology in 1970. At LPHS, she was the first and only female Department Chairman and member of the LPHS faculty Senate. Dr. Bane finished the Doctoral Program in Counseling/Clinical Psychology at Saint Louis University in 1977. As part of the certification requirements, she did an internship at the Diagnostic Treatment Center at the St. Louis Juvenile Court. As a licensed psychologist in the State of Missouri, she opened a private therapy practice in 1977 with her colleague, Dr. Barbara Falk in Chesterfield, MO. Dr. Bane retired in August, 2008.
She remains deeply committed to her LeRoy roots, including the Betsy Bane Scholarship designed to empower female LHS graduates who aspire to enter careers requiring personal warmth, integrity, and service. Since starting her scholarship after her retirement, Dr. Bane has gifted over $50,000 to LHS female graduates.
Our Facilities
We have a lot of facility projects coming up this summer. This will limit access to buildings and gym spaces at different times this spring and summer. Here are few projects we have on tap:
May 4 - May 29 - Weight Room Renovations
May 26 - June 5 - Elementary Flooring Asbestos Abatement (Building & RVS Gym Closed)
May 26 - June 5 - Dud Berry Gym CLOSED for sanding, painting, and resealing
June 8 - July 31 - Elementary Flooring Installation - Building CLOSED all summer
July 1 - 21 - RVS Gym CLOSED for Painting
Our Finance
It is the time of year when we all begin receiving our property tax statements. In McLean County, we are fortunate that property values are increasing, which is a positive sign for our local economy. As a school district, we do not control assessed property values. We do, however, have some influence over the district’s tax rate—particularly within certain funds—and the County Schools Facility Tax (CSFT) will help us with that in future levies.
With this year’s levy, we were able to maintain our tax rate. While maintaining or lowering the rate is a responsible step for our taxpayers—our investors in public education—it does not necessarily mean individual tax bills will decrease.
A simple way to think about it is this: if the tax rate stays the same but property values increase, the total tax bill can still go up. For example, if a property valued at $100 increases to $125, applying the same rate results in a higher overall tax amount.
The good news for LeRoy residents is that we are using CSFT revenue to reduce the tax rate from $5.29 to $5.03. Using the same example, even if property values increase, a lower rate helps offset that growth. In this case, the reduced rate results in a lower overall tax bill than it would have been otherwise.
Jeff Baughman
Superintendent
Go Panthers!
Key Upcoming Dates - Just to name a few in the busy upcoming May schedule!
May 12
HEROES Got Talent and LIFE’s Got Talent
May 13
Senior Scholarship Banquet and Hall of Fame Induction
May 15
5th/6th Grade End of Year Awards
May 17
Graduation 2:00pm - LHS Gym
May 20
8th Grade Celebration and Last Day of Student Attendance
May 22
LHS Athletic Banquet
August 19
First Day of Student Attendance for the 2026-27 School Year
Involved Community - Competitive Students - Productive Citizens