Mokena District 159 Highlights Strategic Progress, Sets Sights on Advanced Learning and Data Systems

MOKENA, Ill. – Mokena School District 159 administrators presented their annual Strategic Plan review to the Board of Education on Wednesday, showcasing a year of significant progress in curriculum, facility upgrades, and communication, while setting ambitious goals for the 2025-2026 school year.

The presentation, led by Assistant Superintendent of Instruction Dr. Kristin Johnson and other key administrators, covered the five core areas of the district’s five-year plan: Curriculum, Instruction, Finance, Human Resources, and Communication. Now in the fourth year of the plan, officials focused on accomplishments from the past year and outlined the next steps.

“It truly has provided us with a pathway of how to improve our district,” Johnson said, thanking the board for its direction. “All the decisions that we make, we really keep in mind, ‘What are our goals? How does this fit within our goals?'”

In curriculum, the district celebrated the full implementation of its K-8 English Language Arts curriculum with the rollout of StudySync for grades 6-8. The orchestra program has seen explosive growth, expanding from 22 musicians in 2022 to 86 this past year. For the upcoming year, the district will implement its state-mandated PaCE Framework for career exploration in grades 6-8 and begin the full rollout of its updated advanced learner programming.

“We were able to take Northwestern’s report… and work with our task force to identify, plan for, and strengthen the opportunities that we will have in place for our advanced learners,” Johnson said.

Instructional goals focused on strengthening differentiated learning and support systems. The district implemented year one of a three-year Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) plan at each school and formed a Special Education Steering Committee to act on recommendations from a recent program review. Next year’s focus will include implementing year two of the MTSS plans and researching more efficient data management systems to better support student intervention.

On the finance and facilities front, Chief School Business Official Dr. Teri Shaw highlighted ongoing projects from the Facilities Master Plan, including the hiring of a new custodial company and the sealcoating of parking lots. Technology Director Lincoln Henson reported major infrastructure upgrades, including new Ruckus network equipment and new virtual machine servers. Looking ahead, the district hopes to replace its oldest generation of fiber optic cable to support future technology needs.

Human resources accomplishments included streamlined onboarding processes for new staff, targeted professional development, and the addition of a special education teacher at Mokena Junior High School.

Communication saw a major boost, with the launch of a new district newsletter, a relaunched district app, increased social media activity, and new quarterly newsletters for Student Services families. Superintendent Robert Gurney praised the district’s commitment to the plan. “I’ve researched a lot of school districts. I’ve yet to see a school district that comes back to the strategic plan so as such a good job as Mokena does,” he said.

With one year left on the current plan, board members discussed the timeline for developing the next five-year plan. Board President Jim Andresen suggested the process would begin in about a year, starting with administrative review before opening up to community and staff involvement in early 2027.