District 158 starts school with minor tweaks

For most students, now is a time of anxiety and anticipation. Just days away are new challenges, new teachers, new friends, new schools.

Not so in Huntley Unit District 158.

Students in District 158 started school on Thursday, several days earlier than usual. Besides the early start, students will notice few dramatic changes in their schools this year.

Slowing enrollment growth and budget uncertainties mean district educators are focused on preserving the status quo.

Some of the most significant changes are taking place in special education. The district hired a new director this summer and is currently conducting a comprehensive review of the program.

The district expects to receive $1.6 million in federal stimulus cash for special education. How to spend that money is a source of ongoing contention among board members, administrators and parents.

This year, teachers will introduce students across the district to a curriculum designed to improve student behavior and school climate.

Educators are also preparing an Internet safety curriculum to meet new state guidelines. A crucial piece of that, officials say, is educating parents about how to keep their kids safe on the Internet at home.

"The students are maybe even more at-risk at home," said Mary Olson, director of curriculum and instruction. "How do we make sure our parents are getting the message?"

At the high school, students will be able to take Advanced Placement art history, fashion merchandising and a third year of Chinese this year. The new offerings reflect the high school's ongoing efforts to expand electives, Advanced Placement courses and the Chinese language program.

Despite the slowing enrollment growth in the district as a whole, the high school's student body is continuing to expand, necessitating more teachers and new classes, Principal Dave Johnson said.

"Even though the housing market has slowed down considerably - we still have quite a bit of growth because of the lower grades being (larger) than the departing grades," Johnson said. "Many of our students are coming from larger suburban districts and are accustomed to large course offerings."

Elementary schools are continuing to focus on reading this year. At Martin Elementary School, teachers will introduce a word study program this year that stresses spelling rules over rote learning.

"Instead of the traditional spelling list - we're concentrating on teaching the kids the spelling patterns, the spelling rules," Principal Rhonda Maciejewski said. "Once they know the rules, they can pretty much sound out any word."