Jacksonville School District 117

Jacksonville School District 117 Jacksonville School District #117 will provide an educational environment that promotes excellence a Public School District

Good afternoon,In 2018, we implemented new elementary attendance boundaries that affected more than 250 addresses. These...
08/31/2026

Good afternoon,

In 2018, we implemented new elementary attendance boundaries that affected more than 250 addresses. These changes had a positive impact by creating a more equitable balance of enrollment across our elementary buildings.

As part of that process, the Murrayville-Woodson boundary was moved north. This benefited three schools by reducing enrollment at Eisenhower and South while increasing enrollment at Murrayville-Woodson.

At the time, the committee considered extending the Murrayville-Woodson boundary north to Interstate 72. However, because of the distance to Murrayville and the age of the building, the committee and Board ultimately chose to limit the northern expansion to its current location.

Given our opening of the new Murrayville-Woodson Elementary next fall, the district is now discussing extending the boundary north to I-72 and Route 104. I have attached both the current and proposed elementary boundaries, with the Murrayville-Woodson boundary highlighted in blue on each map.

Because the new school site is farther north and will provide a beautiful, modern facility, it is appropriate to revisit this boundary recommendation.

I reviewed the distance differences for two addresses that would change schools if the proposal is approved—one currently assigned to Eisenhower and one assigned to South. The first home is 7 miles from Eisenhower, 8.4 miles from the former Murrayville-Woodson site, and 7 miles from the new school. The second address is 4 miles from South, 6.9 miles from the former site, and 3.5 miles from the new location.

There are currently 19 K–5 students in the affected area. Enrollment is fairly evenly distributed across grade levels, with three students in four of the six grades. Second grade has two students, while first grade has five. Based on this distribution, we can expect an average of approximately three students per grade level moving forward.

Current fifth-grade students will not attend Murrayville-Woodson next year because they will transition to JMS. I also assume current fourth-grade students will be allowed to remain at their current school for their final elementary year if their parents provide transportation, consistent with how we handled the major boundary change in 2018.

The Board will discuss this issue at its next meeting on September 16 at 6 p.m.

No action item will be included on the September agenda, as the Board wants to allow adequate time for community feedback. If the Board chooses to move forward, the proposed boundary change will be presented as an action item at the October meeting.

This discussion is consistent with our goal of maximizing efficiency across the district.

Thank you,

Steve Ptacek

08/28/2026

This just went out:

Good morning,

This message is a test of our new alert and messenger service. You should not notice any changes on your end.

As part of this test, I am sending an email, text message, and phone call. You should receive the same formats you have received in the past. If you do not receive one of these formats and would like to receive it moving forward, please contact your building clerical staff.

I hope everyone receives at least one form of this alert, as it is difficult to reach those who receive none. I will also post this message on Facebook to help reach others. If possible, please share that post.

You may also receive test messages from your individual buildings today or Monday. Our subscription with our previous messenger service expires Tuesday.

In addition, we expect an unusually late heat wave next week, with temperatures in the mid-90s—about ten degrees above normal highs for the first week of September.

Thank you.
Steve Ptacek

Here is an update on the status of the Murrayville-Woodson project.Before I discuss the project, I want to clarify a com...
08/25/2026

Here is an update on the status of the Murrayville-Woodson project.

Before I discuss the project, I want to clarify a common misconception I continue to hear in the community.

This project—and all of our major facility projects—has been paid for with sales tax revenue, with one exception. The Eisenhower project was paid for with ESSER funds, the one-time federal grant money provided to school districts during COVID.

Our updated buildings have not caused an increase in property taxes.

Each year, the total amount of property taxes the district collects increases as allowed under PTELL (commonly, but incorrectly, referred to as the “Tax Cap”). Those annual increases are primarily tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

If the sales tax had not passed in 2014, our community would essentially be paying the same property taxes it is paying today—but we would still have old, deteriorating buildings.

That is an important point: the facility improvements funded through the sales tax did not increase the district’s property tax rate.

There is another important development.

In June 2024, Illinois law changed, allowing districts that previously had bonding limitations imposed by PTELL to issue Fire Prevention and Safety Bonds (commonly called Health/Life Safety Bonds). Importantly, Health/Life Safety bonds do not require voter approval through a referendum.

That means that if the sales tax had not passed—and we had not spent the past decade systematically upgrading our buildings—we would now be facing tremendous facility needs. Those needs would still have to be addressed, but instead of using sales tax revenue, property taxpayers would likely be paying for them through additional property-tax-supported bonding.

Given the magnitude of the work that would have been necessary, the district could potentially have needed to use much of its approximately $78 million in bonding capacity. At that level, the additional bond payments would have resulted in a significant increase in property taxes above the annual CPI increases.

In summary, our new and renovated facilities have not created an additional property-tax burden to pay for these projects. Quite the opposite: using sales tax revenue to address these needs has helped protect our local property taxpayers from costs they otherwise could be facing today.

I am going to explain this issue in much greater detail in a separate post for those who want to better understand how PTELL, the sales tax, and Health/Life Safety bonding work together.

Now, on to the new building.

Attached are pictures showing the Murrayville-Woodson project from the initial groundwork through last week.

Since this is a new construction project rather than a renovation, Illinois law requires the building to include a tornado shelter. The area highlighted in red in the first picture is the designated shelter. It is constructed with reinforced walls and roofing and includes dedicated water and ventilation systems in the event students and staff need to remain in the shelter for an extended period.

The building should be fully enclosed by October, allowing crews to work full-time inside without weather being a significant concern.

Most importantly, the project is on schedule and currently under budget.

We are excited about the progress and look forward to watching the building continue to take shape.

We are thrilled to announce our new app for mobile phones! Stay up-to-date with access to events, documents, news from a...
08/17/2026

We are thrilled to announce our new app for mobile phones!

Stay up-to-date with access to events, documents, news from administrators, student stories, and important alerts.

You can download the app for free on Google Play or Apple App Store.

You can search for JSD117, use the links listed below, or scan the QR code in the image to access the app.

Once you open the app you can sign in using the email address or phone number associated with your skyward account. You might have to click "forgot password" the first time you use the app. The app will send a password reset link to your skyward email address. If you need any further assistance, please contact your building.

Download for Android https://aptg.co/Ms67D8
Download for iPhone https://aptg.co/yTjDf3

Take a moment to congratulate our 2nd semester 2025-2026 honor/high honor roll students with us!
06/11/2026

Take a moment to congratulate our 2nd semester 2025-2026 honor/high honor roll students with us!

I am sharing important information regarding the Centenary United Methodist Church Summer Lunch Program. This year, the ...
06/01/2026

I am sharing important information regarding the Centenary United Methodist Church Summer Lunch Program. This year, the program is expanding to serve additional locations throughout our community.

While this program is not affiliated with Jacksonville School District 117, it aligns with our shared commitment to supporting the children and families of our community.

Please review the attached information for details about meal locations, dates, and times.

Address

211 West State St
Jacksonville, IL
62650

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8am - 4:30pm
Friday 8am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+12172439411

Website

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