By Michael S. Hoey
Correspondent
The Delavan-Darien School Board discussed the center-school model in an effort to move closer to deciding if the model fits the district Monday night. A vote on the issue could come in February or more likely March in an effort to implement the model in time for the 2015-16 school year.
Wileman teacher Kirsten Andreoni told the board 116 stakeholders crafted the strategic plan four years ago. That plan calls for the district to expand the decision-making process and yet district staff has not been invited to share input in the discussion on center schools and nowhere in the plan is there any expressed desire to pursue the model. Andreoni said the 100 staff members who were in the district when the plan was adopted are still here while only two administrators are still here. She also said no formal feasibility studies have been done on the model.
Superintendent Robert Crist presented a list of specific educational structural concerns that the center-school model could address. One area of concern in the district is a lack of integration. He said the district has done nothing to address the issue, and that has led to the three elementary schools having three vastly different make-ups. The different groups are then not exposed to each other until sixth grade at Phoenix Middle School, leading to problems there. Better integration could lead to better understanding of diversity at all schools, he said.
Crist listed several ways class sizes could be better balanced across the district and resource efficiency could be maximized with the model. One example is that the district would need one to two English Language Learner teachers rather than the current four.
Crist said the model would promote stability and unity because all students would be together from 4K through 12th grade. It would also provide more opportunities for teachers to collaborate and reduce staff travel time.
Crist also said the model might reverse the trend of students leaving the district after preschool if a full-day wrap-around program can be developed. In the last three years 30, 36 and 41 preschool students open-enrolled out of the district before entering kindergarten.
Crist said the model could save the district up to $400,000. Board member Chad Kort clarified that money would be re-allocated to other district needs, not “saved.” Steve Logterman said he saw many positives and not many negatives of the model. Crist said all the district principals favor it. Jim Hansen said the model can help the district reallocate money to better places. John Andreoni said he is not sold on the idea and has seen some districts move away from it. Crist said he is open to other ideas.
