Peoria Public Schools

Peoria Public Schools District 150 has adopted a tentative balanced budget for the 2027 fiscal year with revenues exceeding expenses by $5.3 million.

The Peoria Public Schools Board of Education has hired an interim chief financial officer to oversee the District 150 accounts, bridging a gap until the administration selects a permanent CFO.

The largest individual philanthropic donation in the history of the Peoria Riverfront Museum will extend a long-running initiative offering free admission to students, teachers and families across the Tri-County area.

Accountants with a national financial consulting firm will help Peoria Public Schools District 150 complete a two-year backlog of audits, with the district on track to adopt its annual budget by the end of next month.

Peoria Public Schools will get an increase of about $9.3 million this year in evidence-based funding from the State of Illinois, as district leaders mull the idea of getting outside assistance to address a two-year audit backlog.

"Our crime statistics for juveniles is significantly worse than East St. Louis," said Tom Marshall, an Elite Community Outreach board member who sits on the county's Juvenile Justice Council, describing the findings of a University of Illinois Chicago study he said was shared with the council. "They're known for being one of the worst areas in the state."

The Peoria Public Schools Board of Education has delayed a vote on requesting a half-cent sales tax increase to help pay for facility maintenance.

Incoming Peoria Board of Education member Andy Diaz said his request for a temporary restraining order ahead of Wednesday’s special meeting has been denied on a technicality.

Incoming Peoria Public Schools Superintendent Jerry Bell said he wants District 150 to work hand-in-hand with the business community in preparing students to meet evolving workforce needs.

Peoria Mayor Rita Ali says she supports the idea of streamlining the process for approving housing projects, but proposed statewide zoning regulations would go too far.