The Peotone Board of Education Committee met on Monday, September 22, 2025, under the shadow of a significant financial crisis after the district’s proposed budget failed to pass in a prior vote. The committee directed the administration to draft three options for deep spending cuts to address a $4.2 million deficit and scheduled an emergency board meeting for the end of the month to pass a budget before the state deadline. For more on this, see the full story.

In other discussions, the administration unveiled a plan to collect over $372,000 in outstanding student fees using a combination of incentives and a collection agency. The district also announced a new monthly community outreach program called “Peotone PRIDE” to improve communication. You can read the full stories on the fee collection plan and the new engagement meetings for more details.

District Forgoes Safe Routes to School Grant
The board committee discussed applying for a Safe Routes to School matching grant, which could provide up to $250,000 for projects like new sidewalks and crosswalks. The administration presented potential projects at Peotone High School and Peotone Elementary School. However, given the district’s current financial constraints and questions about the necessity of a proposed sidewalk at the high school, the consensus among board members was to forgo applying during this grant cycle.

Baseball/Softball Fields Project Update
The administration provided a brief update on the proposed baseball and softball fields at the high school. An engineering firm is reviewing the original plans, but the project cannot proceed without a wetland delineation study to secure permits from the Army Corps of Engineers. The board must also provide direction on whether to focus only on the fields or to pursue a larger, more comprehensive master plan for the entire athletic complex, a decision complicated by the district’s budget crisis.