The School District 21 Board of Education established the Task Force to create a Mission (Why do we exist?) and Vision (What do we hope to become?) for the schools of the district that:

1. reflects and is consistent with what is known about best practices in high performing schools,
2. will be supported b y the various stakeholders, and
3. is feasible given the financial parameters within which the district must operate.

PLC Task Force membership included community and staff representation from each school, building level administrators, district administrators, and a member of the Board of Education. The Task Force examined the “current reality” of School District 21, research on best practice, and worked to reach consensus on the two questions, “Why do we exist?” and “What do we hope to become?” It is our belief that the community, staff, and students of School District 21 will benefit from schools described by these (Mission and Vision) statements that follow. While the Mission Statement establishes why the district exists, the Vision Statement describes the standards School District 21 will strive to achieve and maintain. This vision should serve as a guidepost for school improvement.