District 20 parents to protest cost-cutting proposal

Even before administrators take the first step toward a possible cost-saving measure in Keeneyville Elementary District 20, a parents group is trying to scuttle the proposal because they fear it will compromise their children's education.

The school board will hear a presentation at 7 p.m. today on the financial pros and cons of changing the district's two elementary schools that serve kindergarten through fifth grade into grade-level centers.

The proposal would divide Waterbury Elementary in Roselle and Greenbrook Elementary in Hanover Park into one school serving kindergarten through second grade and the other serving third- through fifth-graders.

Spring Wood Middle School in Hanover Park would continue serving students in grades six through eight.

Superintendent Carol Auer said District 20 suffers from dwindling state funds and grade-level centers could be one way to reduce payroll while still keeping class sizes near 22 students.

But the idea has no legs yet, she said.

"I don't even know if the board wants us to continue to research and study it," Auer said. "Our recommendation to the board is 'look at these figures and tell us what you think.' I'm not going to go through a whole year of meetings with parents and teachers if no one is interested."

Roselle resident and Waterbury parent Kristyn Hallin said grade-level centers shouldn't even be an option, and parents plan to attend tonight's board meeting to voice concerns. Hallin said Waterbury parents worry about increased travel from Roselle to Hanover Park and declines in education quality.

"They want to send our kids to a school that is in major trouble as far as the (Illinois Standardized Achievement Test) and other standardized tests," she said. "How do you put a bunch of kids who are doing better with kids who score lower? The kids who are doing badly will only get more lost. Or they'll really have to start teaching differently and then our kids won't get the same level of education."

Both Waterbury and Greenbrook achieved Adequate Yearly Progress for both reading in math in 2008 under the No Child Left Behind mandate, but Greenbrook was placed on academic early warning with roughly 66 percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards in reading and about 78 percent meeting or exceeding in math. At Waterbury, the figures are almost 83 and 88 percent, respectively.

Hallin also argues the change could increase busing, since many Waterbury students walk to school.

Although Hallin and her supporters would be satisfied if the idea is squashed, she said they ultimately want Waterbury removed from District 20 by changing boundary lines and folding it into Roselle School District 12.

"For the kids who have left here and went to Spring Wood, a lot of parents are very concerned and feel their children are not being challenged," she said. "Both (Hanover Park) schools are just not up to speed and we'd rather deal with it for three years than six. We are in our nice little place over here in Roselle where people moved here specifically to be in this school."