ALTON - The Alton Community Unit School District #11 Board of Education recently heard from community members about the Reimagine Alton initiative that encouraged community involvement.
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During their regular meeting on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, the Board listened as community leaders Damian Jones and Karen Wilson shared more about their experience with Reimagine Alton. This initiative invited stakeholders to engage with the school district and express their concerns, which were then addressed by the Reimagine Alton team and district administrators.
“I can’t adequately express my appreciation for the people that were willing to come,” said Superintendent Elaine Kane. “It was so encouraging and profound for our district and for our administrative team to have that collective voice.”
Jones explained that the Reimagine Alton team included 25 community stakeholders, ranging from parents and staff members to district representatives and community leaders. The Board of Education authorized the coalition with the hope that these stakeholders would engage more community members and come forward with input to help improve the district.
Through four community engagement sessions during the 2025–2026 school year, the team quickly identified top priorities, including attendance, graduation rates, communication, relationships, and equity and belonging. Jones explained that student attendance and engagement lead to higher graduation rates, which is a major goal.
“The Reimagine Alton planning process was rooted in the shared belief that the strongest schools are shaped by the voices they serve, and that was really our overarching theme for every meeting, for the entire process,” Jones said. “I think another overarching theme of our effort is that we want to ensure that every family feels not merely tolerated but celebrated by their school, by their school district, and those that represent them. They have a voice.”
Wilson added that cultivating a culture of belonging for students and families is “a big part of the success quotient.” She went over the action plan, which includes bringing back in-person registration and parent orientation, consistently recognizing students and celebrating graduating students, amplifying community communication and partnerships, strengthening family engagement, and increasing district communication.
“The result is a community-informed action plan — not just a few people in the back room deciding what’s happening, but something that reflects the values and priorities of those who know Alton schools best,” she explained. “Reimagine Alton Schools demonstrated that when schools, families, and communities work together around a shared vision, students benefit. This is not the end of an exercise. This is the beginning of an ongoing commitment.”
Kane noted that many of these action plan items are already underway, with new clubs and events implemented throughout the 2025–2026 school year to increase community and student engagement. The district started a Reimagine Alton committee of high school students to encourage student feedback, and administrators hired a behavior interventionist to further support staff and students, among other action items.
As the Reimagine Alton presentation came to a close, Board of Education President Christina Millien thanked the Reimagine Alton team members for their efforts to help improve the district.
“There’s already been so much that’s happened because you were willing,” she said. “I just wanted to thank you on behalf of the Board for being willing, because being willing makes all the difference.”
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