LeRoy School District 2

Panther Families,

We are now through the first full week of school so, hopefully, everyone is starting to get settled into a routine for the year.  From our point of view, the year is off to a great start!  Make sure you get out to support all of our Panthers in their sports and activities.  Our Junior High Baseball and Softball teams are having great seasons with their postseasons just around the corner.  The High School seasons are just getting underway with a lot of opportunities to see them this fall.  

Our Student Achievement

At Le Roy CUSD #2, we do not believe any single assessment - whether state or local - defines a child’s academic ability or potential.  We do believe academic assessment data is one piece of the pie that helps inform the whole child’s Profile of a Graduate.   

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) will soon release results from last year’s state assessments.  While these assessments provide some insight, they represent a single snapshot in time with delayed feedback.  In contrast, our students participate in the learning standards aligned Renaissance STAR Assessment three times per year, giving us real-time data to monitor achievement, track growth, and provide specific timely interventions.  We had our complete reports at the end of last year, and students and teachers are already working from this year’s baseline data - all while we wait for state assessment results.   

Key Data Measurements

• 89% - Grades K-2 Literacy At/Above Grade Level 2025-26 AIMSWeb Assessment

• 91% - Grades K-2 Math At/Above Grade Level 2025-26 AIMSWeb Assessment

• 86% - Grades 3-8 Reading At/Above Grade Level 2025-26 STAR Assessment

• 86% - Grades 3-8 Math At/Above Grade Level 2025-26 STAR Assessment

• 19.9 - Average ACT Score 2025-26 Juniors (4th out of 13 HOIC Schools, N’tl Avg 19.4, State Avg 18.8)

• 95% - High School students involved in at least ONE co- or extra-curricular school activity 

• 62% - Juniors/Seniors earning College Dual Credit or Industry Credentials/Certifications

• 50% - Juniors/Seniors attend Bloomington Career Academy (BCA) or completing Internships

• 78% - LHS Graduates who attend a 2 or 4 year Post-Secondary College or University

• 93% - LHS Graduates who attend a 2 or 4 year Post-Secondary College or University AND return for their Sophomore year

Our Finance

I recently participated in an interview with WGLT for a feature with McLean County Superintendents about the County School Facility Tax.  That feature will be released in the near future.  The Board and I have maintained transparency in our District philosophies and practices with the CSFT since inception.  This even dates back over a decade when the CSFT first appeared on the ballot.  That being said, in a 15 minute interview, you never know how you might be represented.  These are the key points of my conversation with WGLT and that we will continue to share with our local community.

• Transparency is essential:

    Not just regarding the CSFT, but with everything we do.  Specific to the CSFT, we will keep our community informed through the

  CSFT Dashboard

  on our website which continues to have information added.  This includes a snapshot of the CSFT fiscal year budget, Board Resolution committing to property tax rate relief, historical completed facility work, long-term facility planning, summary of how the CSFT is collected and distributed, FY26 CSFT Revenue Tracker, and First 12 Months CSFT Revenue Tracker.  We collect revenue into 3 buckets in priority order of expense.  

• Priority 1 Bucket - Bond & Interest:

    We collect 1/3 of the projected fiscal year revenue into this bucket first.  This will be used to pay toward our existing bond and interest payments, which allows us to lower the property tax rate.  In the first year, we were able to lower the property tax rate from $5.29 to $5.03.  

  
  

• Priority 2 Bucket - School Security & Mental Health:

    We collect the next 1/3 of budgeted eligible expenses for our school resource officers, counselors, and social workers salaries.  

  
  
  

• Priority 3 Bucket

   - Facilities:  We collect the final 1/3 of revenue to dedicate toward our long-term facility project planning.  

  
  

• Lowering the Tax Rate:

    It has been a long-term commitment of this Board to lower our property tax rate when reasonable.  We have the responsibility to be good stewards of our investor’s (tax payers) money as well as meeting the needs of our students.

  
  

• Since 2019, we have been able to lower our property tax rate from $5.56 to $5.03 and anticipate it will be below $5.00 in our next levy.  

Our Community Relations 

Stay up to date on everything LeRoy Schools through the platforms below.  Elementary parents, make sure you are also on Seesaw for up to date classroom information.

Look for some upcoming videos featuring our staff and students.  The first one on the docket will be getting to know our Director of Safety and Security, Officer Robert King, who will share exactly what the role of a School Resource Officer looks like.  

• Download the

  LeRoy CUSD #2 App

  on your Apple or Android Device by searching LeRoy CUSD#2 in the App Store. 

  • View live social media feeds, events calendar, athletics, breakfast and lunch menus, and notifications through push messaging.  

    
    
    

• Check out the

  LeRoy CUSD #2 Website

  for everything LeRoy Schools

• Like and Join

  LeRoy CUSD #2 on Facebook

• Download the

  Skyward App

  or visit the

  Skyward Q Webpage

  to keep track of your student’s schedule, grades, fees, and more!  

Our Facilities

We are in the process of evaluating our next CSFT facility projects.  You can video our Long-Term Facility Planning document on the CSFT Transparency Dashboard on our website.  We are currently considering upgrades to our football/track complex to possibly include storm shelter, new concession, locker room, parking, field improvements, etc.  Other long-term planning priorities include building window renovations, bathroom renovations, and roof replacement.  All of these projects can be invested in using Operation & Maintenance funds, and some qualify for Health, Life, Safety Funds.   

Jeff Baughman