PEORIA, Ill. – The incoming superintendent of Peoria Public Schools laid out his vision for running the district to Peoria-area business leaders on Thursday.
Dr. Jerry Bell was the keynote speaker at the Peoria Area Chamber’s State of Greater Peoria Education address at the Holiday Inn at Grand Prairie.
Bell started by stating that he wants the district to produce and graduate students who are model citizens.
“We have one single goal, and that is to ensure our students leave our care, well-educated, well-situated, and be contributing members of society,” Bell said.
Bell says there is an overarching desire to lessen academic achievement gaps in the district while addressing the learning needs of students, and is hopeful his team can find ways to inspire students and staff.
But Bell also noted that the task could be harder than before with the impact of the pandemic on students, and their potential access to education.
Some of the overall goals that Bell listed was increasing literacy in math, reading, and financial issues, as well as decreasing chronic absenteeism.
Bell laid out his objectives on the first 100 days as superintendent of PPS. Those include building relationships with various leadership teams within the district, targeting professional development and targeted teaching to reduce achievement gaps, holding town halls with the community, and taking a look into the climate and culture in PPS buildings.
Thursday’s program is replacing the State of the City address for 2026. Chamber leaders noted it’s part of a broader strategy to address issues in the region, but added the State of the City would return in 2027.
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