Behind all the little changes that occur within District 127 sits the strategic planning committee.

“Really what our committee does is prepare for long range planning with within five different sub-committees: student achievement and academics, culture and climate, public relations, finances, and building,” said Grayslake North principal James Roscoe.

The sub-committees meet more often to  plan ideas and projects while the whole committee meets for a dinner for a progress update.

“The committee as a whole meets annually during the strategic planning dinner, the last meeting being in December of 2012. We were planning to have the meeting in January but with all the weather related delays we are looking towards mid-February for the next strategic planning dinner,” Roscoe said.

Members of the strategic planning committee come from all over the town to provide their input.

“The committee is made up of all members of our district community: students, parents, administrators and community members so it’s a true representation of everyone that is involved with our district,” Roscoe said.

The building sub-committee works on both school buildings, Central and North, looking for the best ways to utilize the space in the school.

“We are trying to make the school more efficient, especially in this technology age. Teachers are moving their students between computer labs and classrooms, so now we have carts with laptops and iPads and chromebooks in them just to make that process easier for them,” Roscoe said.

Within the district, the committee has short-term plans they hope to carry out within the next five years.

“We try to have the two schools balance each other out,” said Grayslake North teacher Greg Geiger. “Central has two kitchens and North has only one, so with this new addition we are adding another kitchen so that both schools have two kitchens.”

As for long range plans, the committee is hoping to continue making changes in the district depending on the results of their short-range endeavors.

“We have plans for five years out, but you never really know where you will be in five years so it just goes by how far we get and what we can accomplish in that time,” said Roscoe.

With so many members from every corner of the community, a common goal unites all who participate in the strategic planning committee.

“The overall goal is to unite our community and school district and just to make sure that everyone has a voice we just want be to be open and invite our community into our district in a deeper way,” said district 127 superintendent Catherine Finger.