Here’s what’s going on at School District 205
By Chris Fox
The Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 Board held a regular meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at the District 205 Center, 162 S. York St. All seven board members attended the meeting.
ILMEA students honored
The board recognized several York High School student musicians during the meeting’s spotlights and recognitions segment. Those students were recognized for recently being selected for the Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA) All-District Band, Chorus, Orchestra and Jazz Band. The York students who were selected for the All-State ensembles included: Samuel Deverman (Orchestra, French Horn), Julian Dominguez (Honors Jazz Band, Jazz Tenor Sax), Ryan Felice (Honors Chorus, Tenor II), Evan Hartlage (Band, Euphonium), Zhihanna Liu (Orchestra, Violin), Colin Mahoney (Band, Bass Clarinet), Isabella Nichols (Honors Orchestra, Double Bass), Mac Olson (Honors Band, Trumpet), Quinn Olson (Honors Orchestra, Cello), Amarin Sharma (Orchestra, Violin), Alyssa Poli (Composition), Wes Krissinger (Composition) and Lauren Capuno (Composition).
Additionally, the board recognized a York student musician group—Dear Valentine—that was selected to perform at the ILMEA annual conference in Peoria. The members of Dear Valentine are: Lauren Capuno, Charisse Campos, Anisa Connor, Leah Thomas and Andre Galvao.
Dual language program discussed for Fischer Elementary
The meeting also included a presentation about the Dual Language Program at Conrad Fischer Elementary School. The presentation noted that the program helps students become bilingual, biliterate and bicultural. The program includes children in kindergarten through fourth grade. There are 75 kindergarten students in the program, along with 85 first-graders, 67 second-graders, 72 third-graders and 62 fourth-graders.
The Dual Language Program at Fischer includes a language allocation of 80 percent Spanish and 20 percent English for students in kindergarten and first grade. The language allocation is 70 percent Spanish and 30 percent English for second-graders. The allocation is 60 percent Spanish and 40 percent English for third-graders, and 50 percent Spanish and 50 percent English for fourth-graders.
York Leadership Team offers presentation
Members of York’s Student Leadership Team gave a brief presentation during the meeting. The students mentioned that one of their team’s goals is to serve as a conduit between the school’s administration and students. The students who spoke during the presentation included Avery Kendrick, who is the president of York’s student body, and Nathan Thokkudubiyyapu, who is the president of the school’s National Honor Society. They stated that the team is trying to promote a climate of respect at the school. They also noted that March is National Disability Awareness Month, and that the week of March 13-17 will be Kindness Week at York. The week will conclude with a pep rally on March 17.
Report given on recent student assessments
The board meeting of Feb. 21 featured a presentation about results from recent assessments administered to district students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Each school year, the district administers assessments to measure student performance. During the current 2022-23 school year, the district gave two administrations of the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment, one in the fall and another that recently concluded this winter. The presentation at the meeting reviewed the winter results.
The recent NWEA/MAP assessment measured students’ performance in reading and math compared to national norms. According to the district, students take the assessment on a computer. The assessment is highly adaptive; no two students see the same test questions.
The presentation featured several charts, figures and graphics. District 205 Superintendent Keisha Campbell said the results from the winter NWEA/MAP assessment shows some significant student growth, as well as opportunities for improvement.
Schmidt delivers facilities update
Todd Schmidt, the district’s director of facilities, gave an update during the meeting on several facilities projects, including the project to build a new Field Elementary School. Schmidt said the project at Field is coming together nicely. He said the construction of the new school is a little ahead of schedule and on budget, and will be ready to open for the 2023-24 school year in August.
Schmidt said the current construction project at Fischer Elementary School, which includes the addition of six classrooms, should also be completed before the start of the 2023-24 school year. There will be some additional interior renovations at Fischer this summer. Those renovations, which include water piping replacement, corridor improvements and the addition of new public address and clock systems, will also be finished in time for the start of the 2023-24 school year.
Some other district projects that will take place this summer include renovation work at Bryan Middle School and Sandburg Middle School. The work at Bryan will feature renovation of the school’s media center, along with renovation of the old main office and the installation of new public address and clock systems. The upcoming work at Sandburg includes similar improvements, such as a media center renovation, along with new public address and clock systems. Those projects at Bryan and Sandburg should be completed before the 2023-24 school year begins this August.
Another project that will begin this summer is the renovation of York High School’s auditorium. That project will begin this June and last over one year, until August 2024. Schmidt said the auditorium will be shut down for about one year while the renovation takes place. He said the auditorium will undergo a makeover, with replacements to seating, lighting, rigging, the audio system, the stage curtain and the orchestra shell.
District to add up to four math interventionists
Board members voted unanimously during the meeting to approve the addition of up to four full-time math interventionist positions for the 2023-24 school year. The district currently has 20.5 full-time equivalent reading specialist teaching positions from kindergarten through eighth grade, and 1.86 full-time equivalent math interventionist positions that provide support at the middle school level. A district review determined that the district could benefit from providing more comprehensive support to students in math intervention.
The board’s vote means that 4.5 full-time reading specialists will be reallocated as 4.0 full-time equivalent math interventionists, which will result in 16.0 full-time equivalent reading specialists and 5.5 full-time math interventionists.
The board will hold its next regular meeting on Tuesday, March 21.
