Positive changes unfolding for schools

The makeup of Wauconda Community Unit School District 118's population is evolving.

But that's no surprise, the board heard at its most recent committee of the whole meeting.

"Our demographics are changing," Superintendent Dan Coles said. "I think we all know that."

Statistics show a drop in the number of white non-Hispanic students from 80.7 percent in 2004 to 76.8 percent in 2007, Coles said.

Conversely, the district's Hispanic population increased to 18.4 percent in 2007, he said.

The number of low-income students in the district rose from 12 percent to 16 percent in 2007.

But Coles said the statistics were proving some assumptions wrong about a rising Hispanic population.

Though there are more Hispanic students in District 118 schools, the number of limited English proficiency, or, L.E.P., students has only risen slightly from 6.2 percent to 8.4 percent in 2007.

"I think there's sometimes a misnomer that our Hispanic population is going to increase L.E.P.," Coles said.

Another potential surprise to the district was its skyrocketing graduation rate. This year, the high school graduated 97.6 percent of its seniors.

"That is a fantastic graduation rate," Cole said, though admitting he was shooting for a 100 percent graduation rate. "That is something that we need to compliment our high school students on, our parents … and then, of course, the high school staff."

Coles said overall the demographic data was encouraging to the school district.

"There's a lot of great things going on," he said. "Sometimes you have to look at the data and sometimes you have to look beyond the data."