District 205 principals highlighted academic progress and ongoing challenges during a presentation of the 2025 Illinois School Report Card at the Nov. 10 Board of Education meeting, noting improvements in several buildings alongside continued gaps in math, absenteeism and student growth.
Principals report signs of academic gains
The district has four schools rated “commendable” and two rated “targeted,” based on Illinois State Board of Education accountability designations. Ratings measure academic proficiency and growth, graduation rates, absenteeism and school climate, with added focus on student subgroups of 20 or more.
Superintendent Dr. John Asplund noted several positive shifts.
“King School went from being targeted to commendable,” he said. “Lombard and the junior high are still in the targeted area because they have a couple of subgroups that need to improve. But overall, we’ve seen improvement across all district buildings, and student achievement continues to rise.”
District outlines behavior and engagement progress
Administrators also presented an update on Strategic Aim 2, the district’s initiative to strengthen student behavior and engagement through consistent expectations and stronger connections between school, home and the community.
The district introduced new data-collection tools and a classroom management framework last year. This year’s focus is on deepening implementation rather than building new systems, officials said.
“It’s just that we do it every year,” Asplund said. “We do it twice a year, talking about what our goals are, and then at the end of the year we’ll talk about how well we did in achieving our goals.”
Efforts include increasing positive parent contacts, reinforcing pro-social behaviors, and expanding mentoring and volunteer partnerships.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield selected as 2026 insurance provider
District 205 will return to Blue Cross and Blue Shield as its health insurance provider in 2026 after receiving a bid that lowers premiums and improves coverage compared with the district’s current plan.
Assistant superintendent of finance and operations, Jennifer Hamm, said the district’s insurance committee recommended the proposal, which includes a 3.4 percent decrease in premiums from 2025 rates. The plan also introduces lower deductibles through an overlay program called MedPlus, which helps cover costs between $1,000 and $5,250 before Blue Cross and Blue Shield coverage begins.
The shift follows a year with UnitedHealthcare Surest, which proposed a 30 percent rate increase for 2026 — a jump Hamm described as “not sustainable” for employees or the district. Blue Cross and Blue Shield also offered a two-year rate guarantee, capping any 2027 increase at 11.9 percent.
Board approves mid-contract MOU on teacher pay
Board members approved a memorandum of understanding with the Galesburg Education Association outlining proposed mid-contract pay increases for teachers next school year and the following year.
“This is pretty amazing because we opened up a contract with the GEA, offering more money in the middle of a contract,” board member Maury Lyon said. “I mean, that’s sort of very rare.”
Board member Rod Scherpe added, “I’d like to say that this is part of the recruitment committee, and staff appreciation. I’m very pleased that our board supports this — that we are committed to recruiting the best that we can possibly get, and once we have them, we do appreciate them.”
Asplund praised board members for their “proactive leadership and commitment to improving opportunities” for students. He said the board has taken a forward-thinking approach — focusing not only on pay but also on facilities, class sizes, working conditions and student well-being — to attract and retain top educators.
Other board actions
• School resource officer agreement updated: The board approved revisions to its agreement with the city of Galesburg to align with recent changes to state law governing school resource officers. The updates do not change district practice, Asplund said, because the officer had already stopped performing duties restricted under the new legislation. The agreement now includes a sunset date of June 30, 2031.
• District to seek matching grant for bleachers: The district plans to apply for a $50,000 state school maintenance grant to help fund new bleachers at the varsity baseball field. Hamm said the grant will not cover the entire cost but would help offset expenses.
• Two extensive FOIA requests filed: Asplund reported two significant Freedom of Information Act requests in the past month. The first, from Steve Watts, sought employee names, positions, work sites, emails and salaries. The second, from Christopher Garner, requested records related to an Oct. 6 board hearing in which Garner was banned from district property for the remainder of the school year.
The next meeting of the District 205 Board of Education will be at 7 p.m. Dec. 8.