Dist. 203 says transfers now inevitable

Naperville Community District 203 officials knew they had to do something to alleviate swelling class sizes at Mill Elementary school, but hoped by waiting, they could avoid the inevitable.

They couldn't.

Board members Tuesday began discussing a plan to lower class sizes at Mill by transferring between 53 and 96 kindergarten through third-grade students to Elmwood Elementary School.

In 2008, Mill underwent a $7 million renovation that included a 15,000-square-foot addition with a gym, multipurpose room and cafeteria.

The school's learning resource center has also been reconfigured and there are eight new rooms for learning, including a new computer room, music room and classrooms for the English Language Learner program. Administrator offices have also been expanded and the outdoor traffic flow was improved.

"When the referendum was passed to remodel Mill it was not with the idea that we would be expanding the capacity of Mill but that it would be increasing the quality of the educational experience for the children that are there," said Superintendent Mark Mitrovich. "The people here at the time did the best that they could in trying to forecast what the enrollments in that school would look like. The best forecasts have not been able to adequately able to measure the number of students there."

This year's first class, for example, graduated kindergarten with 114 students and began first grade this year with 146.

"The reality is that we are going to have to take a look at realigning the attendance boundaries for Mill Elementary School," he said. "We are painfully aware of the stress that that can create and we have worked on this issue for some time looking at every potential scenario that we could to address that but we kept coming back to one undeniable conclusion."

Kitty Ryan, assistant superintendent for school services and programs, suggested only some incoming kindergarten through third-grade students would be moved and those with younger siblings would be allowed to stay. She said it is to early to determine how the district would go about changing the Mill attendance boundaries.

"Everything is in flux right now," she said. "This is the first time the board is getting this info."

Mitrovich said he met Tuesday morning with the parent leadership of Mill and shared the information with them as well.

"I think they understood it," he said. "They understood the dilemma we're faced with and that we've tried to do it in the least intrusive way possible."

A letter is expected to be sent to Mill parents today, explaining aspects of the plan, and the board will discuss the plan in detail on March 1. Mitrovich said he hopes the board would give the plan final approval at the second March board meeting.