District 87 News and Information

Happy Birthday to us!

District 87 was founded in 1857 when a group of Bloomington citizens selected Bloomington judge Owen T. Reeves to prepare a bill for the incorporation of the city into a single district and provide for the establishment of a school district. This came on the heels of the Illinois School Code, established in 1855 mandating free, public schools in Illinois. The Bill prepared by Bloomington citizens was passed by the Illinois State Legislature and went into effect February 16, 1857 establishing Bloomington Public Schools as one of the first school districts in the State of Illinois. The first Board of Education was formed on April 6, 1857 and schools officially opened on September 23, 1857.