What’s happening at District 205…
The Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 Board held a meeting on Jan. 23 at the District 205 Center, 162 S. York St. All seven board members attended the meeting.
Changes in middle school curriculum approved
Board members voted unanimously to approve the proposed program changes for the second year of the district’s middle school reorganization. Those changes include the incorporation of band, orchestra and choir into the school day, instead of before school. Another of the changes includes the addition of Project Lead the Way to the middle school curriculum. One other change makes world language a choice and ensures that students who take three years in middle school obtain Level III standing as high school freshmen, and that students who take two years in middle school obtain Level II standing as freshmen. One more change authorizes the creation of a semester elective course in the unified arts for eighth-graders.
According to the district, the program changes are the result of two years of exhaustive study and planning.
Changes to curriculum based on public hearings
District 205 Superintendent David Moyer noted the district held a meeting in December 2017 regarding the changes. That meeting featured input from board members and community members. The district also held a town hall meeting in January 2018 to discuss the changes with the community. As a result of feedback from the community, the district made some adjustments to the planned changes.
Mary Henderson, the district’s assistant superintendent for learning and teaching, said the changes to the band/orchestra/choir schedule will be phased in over a two-year period to lessen the impact on current sixth- and seventh-graders. In the fall of 2018, sixth-graders in band/orchestra/choir will rehearse before school once per week with the entire ensemble. In the 2019-20 school year, seventh- and eighth-graders in band/orchestra/choir would meet regularly during the school day, and all grade levels would rehearse once per week before school as a full ensemble.
Before voting to approve the changes at the Jan. 23 meeting, board members discussed the proposals. Board member John McDonough said he didn’t think the district was risking its music program by moving it out of the early morning. Board member Jim Collins said the district has made several changes during his eight years on the board. He said the district has made significant progress during that time. Collins said the district should embrace change and make improvements or further changes if any mistakes are made.
Project Lead the Way is a program that aims to provide students with access to learning experiences that will help them gain the skills they will need in college and beyond. In discussing Project Lead the Way, which has been in existence for about 20 years, Collins said the country is sorely short of engineers. He said if the program attracts more kids to engineering, the country will be better off.
Harrell urges better communication with public
Board member Margaret Harrell said the district needed to do a better job of communicating with the public. Harrell said it’s critical to communicate with the public while putting together an initiative.
Some oppose changes; DiCianni says program is “waste of money”
Four district residents addressed the board during the public comments segment, which took place at the beginning of the meeting. The four residents asked the board to vote against the proposed changes. The speakers included former Elmhurst Mayor and current DuPage County Board Member Peter DiCianni, who said the district’s existing programs are excellent. DiCianni said the district should invest in the programs it already has. He said he was concerned the Project Lead the Way program was a waste of money.
Calendars approved for upcoming school years
Board members also voted during the Jan. 23 meeting to approve the calendar for the 2018-29 and 2019-20 school years. The first day of school for the 2018-19 school year will be Aug. 15, 2018. The last day of school will be on May 24, 2019. The last day could be extended up to five days if any emergency days are used. York High School’s 2019 graduation will take place on Sunday, May 19, 2019.
Foundation funds to provide new bleachers at York baseball field
The board also voted to approve a donation of $19,450 from the District 205 Foundation on behalf of the Friends of York Baseball. The donation will pay for two sets of new bleachers for York’s varsity baseball field. Board members also voted to approve a donation of about $5,800 for a new sound system for Sandburg Middle School’s auditorium. The current sound system is reportedly outdated and ineffective.
Tax collections could be low due to prepayments
Christopher Whelton, the district’s assistant superintendent for finance and operations, noted near the end of the meeting that the district’s property tax collections this June might be higher than in past years because several district taxpayers prepaid their 2018 property tax bills before the end of 2017. The new federal tax plan limits the amount of money a taxpayer can deduct for state income, sales and property taxes to $10,000. Prior to the new plan, the deduction for property taxes was unlimited.
The board will hold its next regular meeting on Feb. 13.
