Here’s what’s new at School District 205…
By Chris Fox
For The Elmhurst Independent
The Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 Board held a meeting on Sept. 12 at the District 205 Center, 162 S. York St. All seven board members attended the meeting.
Parents raise concern about flyovers
Four parents of children who attend district schools spoke during the public participation segment of the meeting. All four parents spoke of the disruption created by planes flying in and out of O’Hare International Airport. The parents spoke of noise created by a steady stream of flights during the overnight hours. They said the noise is affecting their children’s sleep and education.
Board adopts IGA to join ONCC
Later in the meeting, board members voted 6-0 to adopt an intergovernmental agreement between the district and the City of Chicago for the district’s membership and participation in the O’Hare Noise Compatibility Commission (ONCC). District 205 will reportedly join 17 other school districts on the commission. Commissioner Kara Caforio stated she would be willing to represent the district on the ONCC. Commissioner John McDonough recused himself from vote to adopt the intergovernmental agreement. He said his law firm represents the City of Chicago. The district’s legal counsel told McDonough he did not have a conflict of interest, but McDonough, who referred to complete transparency, decided to recuse himself from the vote.
Presentation on possible all-day kindergarten
The Sept. 12 meeting featured a presentation by Dr. Steve Cordogan about all-day kindergarten at comparable area districts. District 205 is exploring the possibility of offering all-day kindergarten in addition to half-day kindergarten. Cordogan, an assessment data consultant with about 40 years of experience, examined eight comparable unit districts in the western suburbs. All but one of the eight districts offers all-day kindergarten. The seven districts with all-day kindergarten initiated it during the last 11 years. Four of those districts charge no additional fee for all-day kindergarten, while three districts charge an additional fee between $2,000 and $4,000 per year.
Cordogan said District 205’s current facilities would not permit all-day kindergarten at all appropriate sites. He said implementing all-day kindergarten would necessitate the relocation of some students. He also said the district could not offer all-day kindergarten without requiring an additional fee.
Cordogan also stated that all-day kindergarten has gained in popularity in the comparable districts he surveyed. He said all-day kindergarten enhances learning and student performance in first grade and beyond. He noted that implementing all-day kindergarten would cause a ripple effect in altering the curriculum in the first-grade level.
Administrative retreat planned
The board meeting also included a presentation from district staff members about August start-up activities, which included an administrator retreat from Aug. 2-3. Additionally, all new certified staff members participated in a new educator academy.
Discussion of Project Lead the Way
Mark Cohen, the district’s assistant superintendent of innovation and growth, spoke to the board about the Project Lead the Way (PLTW) program, which promotes expanded access to challenging coursework. Cohen said the district’s participation in the PLTW program will expose more middle-school students to different careers—especially careers related to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).
Whelton summarizes State’s school funding bill
Chris Whelton, the district’s assistant superintendent for finance and operations, spoke during the meeting to provide a summary of Illinois State Senate Bill 1947, which addresses school funding. Whelton noted that about 85 percent of the district’s revenues come from property taxes. He said about 90 percent of the district’s revenues come from local sources, while about 7 percent of revenues come from state sources. Federal funds provide about 3 percent of the district’s revenue. Whelton noted that the district’s share of state funding is going to be flat. He said that flat funding from the state, along with the property tax cap, rising student enrollment, rising student needs and increasing health care costs present difficult challenges to the district.
The board will hold its next meeting on Sept. 26
