BOE Monthly Meeting Summary
Litchfield CUSD12: May 19, 2026
The Litchfield Community Unit School District #12 Board of Education met on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at the SCI Center for its monthly board meeting.
These are not the official meeting minutes and do not include every detail from the meeting; instead, they are a summary to assist the Purple Panther community. Once the board approves them, the official minutes can be found on the LCUSD #12 Board of Education Minutes page on the website.
ILMEA
ILMEA
FFA
LSEF Award Recipients
Mental Health and Our Strategic Plan
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and it serves as an important reminder that mental health is a critical part of student success and overall well-being.
At Litchfield, we know students learn best when they feel safe, supported, and connected. That belief is reflected in our newly developed Strategic Plan, which prioritizes strong school climate and culture, family and community connections, and expanded social-emotional supports for students .
These priorities align directly with our Portrait of a Graduate, where resilience, empathy, and self-management are identified as key skills for lifelong success .
As we move through spring, it is a good time for all of us to reflect, reset routines, and make time for our own well-being. By continuing to support mental health and reduce stigma, we strengthen not only our schools, but our entire community.
State Funding and What It Means for Our District
Recent updates on the state’s proposed FY27 education budget reflect a continued tight fiscal environment. While there is a required increase to the Evidence-Based Funding formula, many districts, including ours, are still not fully funded.
This image shows the gap between state reimbursement and actual costs for required services. Costs the district must cover locally.
A major concern continues to be mandated categorical funding. These are services we are required to provide—like transportation and special education—but the state does not fully reimburse the cost. Locally, we see this impact clearly, as we are only reimbursed for a portion of these expenses and must cover the rest with local funds.
Over time, that gap adds up and directly impacts how we are able to allocate resources. Dollars that could otherwise support classrooms, staffing, and student opportunities are instead used to cover these required services.
At the state level, proposed increases would only maintain current reimbursement levels, not improve them, meaning this challenge will continue.
As we move forward with our budget, this is one of the key reasons we are planning conservatively and continuing to be thoughtful about how we allocate our resources.
MAKE IT PROGRAM
MAKE IT ended March with 27 students registered. They have ONE OPENING! In March they talked about when Spring truly arrives. They drew pictures and wrote in their journals and enjoyed being outdoors when they could.
Summer registration has also started and they are hoping for 50 students this year. They have thirty-three registered. If you are interested, please reach out to Mrs. Walker at the contact information below.
The Summer Theme will be "Diggin' It". They will be studying paleontology, geology, gardening, different types of soil, dinosaurs, and more.
They will be SERVING FREE MEALS (BREAKFAST AND LUNCH) THIS SUMMER FROM MAY 27TH THROUGH JULY 31ST. THEY ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Any child from the age of 1 year through the age of 18 is eligible for free meals. Meals will be served at LECC.
CHECK OUT THE INTERVIEW WITH MS. WALKER ON WSMI REGARDING THE MAKE-IT PROGRAM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RUHyFbMiOM
If you are interested in enrolling your student in MAKE-IT, please contact Kelley Walker at kwalker@litchfieldpanthers.org.
New District Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581114507291
If you have not, please like our new page. Our old group has been archived.
Strategic Planning Update
The Litchfield CUSD #12 Board of Education officially approved the District’s new Strategic Plan and Portrait of a Graduate during this month’s meeting following several months of work involving students, staff, families, community members, and the Board of Education. The process included surveys, interviews, community meetings, and collaborative discussions focused on the future of Purple Panther Nation.
The District would like to thank the students, Parker Bishop, Paityn Buzick, and Faith Ellinger, who presented during the meeting, along with consultants Dr. Brad Skertich and Dr. Jason Henderson from Student-Centered Services for helping guide the process. The final plan reflects the District’s commitment to its mission, vision, values, and long-term goals while embracing the theme, “Honoring Our Roots. Building Our Future.”
While approval of the plan marks an important step for the District, Dr. McClain emphasized that the work is just beginning. The next steps will focus on developing action plans, monitoring progress, and continuing to engage stakeholders as the District works toward achieving the goals outlined in the plan.
