Here are changes Belleville School District 118 students will see in 2025-26
It’s been a busy summer for Belleville School District 118.
Students will notice several changes when they come back to school Thursday, from playground upgrades to resurfaced tracks and even some new teachers.
In the spring, the board approved a $12 million bond sale to fund a long list of construction projects. Many of these came to fruition this summer, such as new asphalt surfacing on the junior high schools’ tracks, parking lot work and Roosevelt’s new playground. Other playground projects will continue into the school year, along with projects that don’t impact schools like work on the district’s building, Superintendent Ryan Boike said.
Here are changes Belleville District 118 students can expect to see for the 2025-26 school year:
New places to play
This summer, the district tore down the oldest of Roosevelt’s playground structures and replaced it with a modern one with a slide, climbing opportunities and more.
Work is currently underway on Union’s playground. The old playground structure has been torn down, and the new one is expected to be ready by the second week of school, Boike said. In the meantime, students will be able to use all other outdoor areas for recess.
Next on the list is Douglas, followed by Jefferson. Boike said both schools are getting their new playgrounds in addition to existing ones, so kids will still be able to play on the original structures while they watch the new ones come to fruition. The new playgrounds are expected to be done in late September, Boike said.
Douglas’ new playground is specifically designed for accessibility, meaning that individuals with mobility needs can easily navigate the playground. A key component of this is uniform, rubberized surfacing. Douglas’ new playground will sport an inclusive spinner, which is like a merry-go-round with backed seats for added support and a mostly-ramped structure. Plus, the plans show an Innova Rocker that children can sway back-and-forth — and children do not need to transfer from a mobility device to use it.
Jefferson is getting a “ninja course,” which as the name suggests has a lot of climbing and rope elements.
The playground upgrades at Union and Jefferson were funded by the Belleville District 118 Foundation, while the cost of the other schools’ playgrounds — like this summer’s other construction projects — were covered by the bond sale.
With these changes, all schools’ playgrounds will have updated structures by the end of the 2025-26 school year, Boike said.
Safety enhancements
Things will look a little different when parents visit Douglas, Roosevelt and Washington schools. That’s because the district reconfigured those entrances so that visitors must enter the office before they can access other parts of the schools.
This is a paramount safety measure, Boike said, adding that all other schools were already structured like this.
Additional security cameras were added to all school buildings. Instead of keys, all school buildings will be unlocked via staff swiping their IDs.
Smooth parking lots, junior high tracks
Central and West junior high schools’ asphalt tracks were resurfaced and restriped this summer. After a fresh coat of paint, they look new, Boike said.
All of the school’s parking lots have been either resealed or resurfaced. Franklin Elementary will soon see additional parking; the district demolished the building next to the Franklin Neighborhood Community Association and will transform the site into a parking lot.
Douglas, Jefferson and Central Junior High schools also had select sidewalk repairs.
New faces
Abraham Lincoln Elementary will have new administrators. Sydnee Jackson, a 5th grade teacher at the school last year, will now be its assistant principal. The district’s administrative intern David Franklin will also be working primarily with Abraham Lincoln students, assuming a role similar to that of an assistant principal, Boike said.
The district also has 11 new teachers for the this school year.
