Family participation in Galesburg District 205 engagement events like VIP breakfasts and FAFSA nights increased nearly 60% during the 2025-26 school year, according to a report presented to the school board on Monday.
Jennifer Graves, departing principal of Bright Futures Preschool and a member of the district’s stakeholder engagement committee, said participation increased from 4,146 people during the 2024-25 school year to 6,615 this year.
“This represents a 59.5% increase, far surpassing our annual goal of a 5% growth,” Graves said.
The stakeholder engagement committee aims to increase family engagement with the school district, foster community partnerships, and improve communication with families, as part of the district’s strategic plan.
Graves said the district also had 110 volunteers working in school buildings the past year, assisting students and staff with mentoring, classroom support, and school activities.
In addition, the district is seeing engagement with its quarterly magazine produced by Journey 12.
Graves said the district recorded nearly 1,400 online engagements with Journey 12 content, with readers spending an average of nine minutes interacting with the content. The magazine was distributed to more than 16,400 addresses.
District 205 Communications Specialist Amy Pickrel, who also serves on the stakeholder engagement committee, said there was a big push to increase family engagement events.
“Last year's new VIP Breakfast was a huge hit at our K-6 buildings, giving students and their special guests a wonderful opportunity to share memorable moments before the school day started,” Pickrel said, noting the district will be seeking sponsors for those events next school year.
Pickrel said events in grades 7-12 are specifically designed to help students plan for the future, from the FAFSA information night to workshops helping families complete college applications.
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