Peoria County’s Sustainability and Resource Conservation department is inviting public feedback on its revised Operational Sustainability Plan for internal operations. The plan, which was originally introduced in 2011 and last updated in 2021, outlines efforts to monitor energy and water usage at county facilities, reduce solid waste, and prioritize energy efficiency in new building projects.
The plan also promotes employee-driven initiatives such as sustainable purchasing, composting, and recycling events. Community members will have three opportunities to learn about the updates and share their input: March 2 at 5:30 p.m. at the Peoria Public Library North Branch, and March 3 at both 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. at Health and Human Services on Sheridan Road.
“Sustainability practices help the County to minimize harmful effects on the environment while also maximizing benefits like energy reduction and other cost savings,” said Rebecca Cottrell, Peoria County Sustainability Coordinator. “We look forward to the discussions with the community on our energy efficiency efforts at the County.”
For more information about these initiatives or upcoming meetings, residents can contact the Sustainability and Resource Conservation office by phone or visit their website.
In related data from local schools, Peoria County had an average student-to-teacher ratio of 15-to-1 during the 2022-23 school year with a total enrollment of over 27,000 students across its schools. Teacher absenteeism in Peoria County schools stood at 32.3% for that same period—slightly lower than Illinois’ statewide average of 35.6%. Additional demographic details show that Dunlap High School reported the highest number of white students enrolled (873), Richwoods High School had the most multiracial students (182), Lincoln School led in Hispanic student enrollment (218), while Peoria High School recorded the largest Black student population (798). More information about these statistics can be found through the Illinois State Board of Education.
