U-46 report shows boundary changes needed -- and needed now
Boundary changes look to be coming to Elgin Area School District U-46. Fast.
The long-awaited results of a capital planning and facilities study, presented to the school board Monday evening, found a dozen schools so packed with students that they require a near-immediate fix.
"We need to address the overutilization of some schools for the 2010-11 school year and then begin discussions ... developing a long-term strategy regarding facility usage," Superintendent Jose Torres said.
With 656 students, Hillcrest Elementary in Elgin is by far the most overcrowded, at 130 percent capacity this past school year.
Lincoln Elementary in Hoffman Estates and Coleman Elementary in Elgin are not far behind, at 113 and 112 percent capacity, respectively.
Others on the shortlist include Nature Ridge Elementary in Bartlett; Oakhill Elementary in Streamwood; Laurel Hill Elementary in Hanover Park; Highland, Fox Meadow, Lords Park and Lowrie Elementary in Elgin; and Kenyon Woods Middle School in South Elgin.
Larkin High School in Elgin and Streamwood High School - both of which feature multiple mobiles - were also found to be well above capacity.
The study, the first for U-46 since 1998, was conducted by Chicago-based architecture and engineering firm Wight and Co., and Texas-based facility assessment firm Magellan Consulting Inc. between September 2008 and this June.
Last summer, the board agreed to pay the firms $635,000 to complete the study.
While a number of schools are well over capacity, the report called the districtwide capacity for students in elementary and middle schools "adequate."
The district has the capacity for 21,123 elementary students while its actual enrollment stands at 21,627. For middle schools, enrollment is at 7,020 but capacity is at 6,108. High schools, however, are over capacity by 1,562 students.
The 65 mobile units, Magellan President Sam Wilson told the board, "is pretty low compared to other urban districts."
Additionally, although the study found that U-46's schools are in relatively good condition, the district could be looking at more than $300 million in facility needs - and $35 million alone on building additions for overcrowded schools.
Crowding in schools with large minority populations is a pillar of the multimillion-dollar racial discrimination lawsuit pending against the district.
A demographer from Massachusetts-based Gann-McKibben who helped U-46 redraw its attendance boundary map to feature "neighborhood schools" in 2004 underestimated population growth in heavily Hispanic neighborhoods, former executive director of operations Jeff King said in 2006.
Of the elementary and middle schools identified Monday as needing immediate help, all but three - Fox Meadow, Nature Ridge and Kenyon Woods - have a Hispanic majority, according to 2008 state report cards.
The board does not intend to move away from the current neighborhood schools model, Sanders said.
The district's Citizens Advisory Council is charged with reviewing the report and making recommendations on boundary changes to the school board, Sanders said. Changes for the most overcrowded schools are expected to be approved by December. Among the council's tasks will be meeting with school principals and holding discussions with parents and community members.
<!-- 3 column, 5 listings --> <table summary="SUMARRYHERE" class="sofT" cellspacing="4" cellpadding="4"> <tr> <td colspan="3" class="factboxheadblack">Schools that may see change</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="leadin">School</td> <td class="leadin">% of capacity</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="leadin">Coleman Elementary</td> <td class="leadin">112</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="leadin">Fox Meadow Elem.</td> <td class="leadin">101</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="leadin">Highland Elementary</td> <td class="leadin">111</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="leadin">Hillcrest Elementary</td> <td class="leadin">130</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="leadin">Laurel Hill Elementary</td> <td class="leadin">104</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="leadin">Lords Park Elementary</td> <td class="leadin">109</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="leadin">Lowrie Elementary</td> <td class="leadin">107</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="leadin">Nature Ridge Elem.</td> <td class="leadin">109</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="leadin">Oakhill Elementary</td> <td class="leadin">112</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="leadin">Kenyon Woods Middle</td> <td class="leadin">111</td> </tr> </table> <p class="News">Source: Elgin Area School District U-46, Report by Wight and Co. and Magellan Consulting Inc.</p>