Consultants hired by Elmwood Park District 401 in advance of a possible March 2020 referendum question on elementary facilities told the school board the community was very engaged, appreciated the level of communication, and cited curriculum, infrastructure and behavioral issues as priorities for improvement.
Collin Corbett and other representatives from EOSullivan Consulting shared those initial findings on June 5 from the phase one community engagement report. A select group of parents, business and civic leaders meets with the consultants, and Corbett said nearly 200 people shared their insights at three public sessions in May and online into the district strengths, areas for continued growth and priorities.
The response rate places Elmwood Park among the top 5% to 10% of communities.
"It really is exciting to see the amount of engagement we have," Corbett said.
Every response is shared with the district, so action can be taken on specific items.
"You have made tremendous progress and you're at a pivotal moment and are asking for the community to guide you," Corbett said.
Survey respondents cited faculty and staff, curriculum and communication as strengths.
"A lot of people were happy with the changes that had been made with the curriculum," Corbett said.
Jessica Iovinelli, director for instructional technology, described parents attending a Google Classroom workshop this year, and improving results on the 2019 BrightBytes Survey, which monitors technology as it relates to classroom, access, skills and environment (CASE).
The district improved its CASE score from proficient overall in 2018 to advanced overall in 2019, earning the highest possible rating, exemplary, in access, she said. This places the district above the national average in each CASE category in 2019.
"There aren't a lot of districts that take pride in that," he said. "It came back that people really do appreciate and notice that communication."
Respondents said the biggest challenges were curriculum, improving infrastructure and behavioral issues, and Corbett said the greatest requests for improvement related to infrastructure, curriculum and more extracurricular activities.
Bids for some infrastructure improvements, such as roof repairs at the high school, middle school and elementary schools, were previously approved by the board. Other infrastructure improvements will be voted on during the June 19 board meeting.
Board members discussed potential revisions to the district’s Use of Facilities Policy, including how to classify Elmwood Park-oriented organizations, and ensuring these receive priority over groups from other communities that want to use district properties.
Issues related to safety and security scored relatively high, within the top four priorities, Corbett said.
A campus monitor at Elm Middle School and possibly at the elementary schools and a social worker/guidance counselor at the middle school have been discussed as staffing needs for the coming school year and beyond.
Corbett also said people expressed a variety of opinions on grade centers. "Clearly there are strong feelings on this matter and that's why we're asking the question in the survey," he said.
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Of respondents, Corbett said 75 percent expressed a willingness to invest, and that this is a good ratio of those willing to invest to those unwilling to invest.
During a presentation on budget projections, Superintendent Nicolas Wade said the district is in a solid financial position. “One thing we’ve actually been able to do, which has been our goal for a while, is how we are able to avoid selling bonds to do a variety of projects,” he said.
Community members will have an opportunity this month to take a phone survey, choosing between a menu of items, Corbett said, in addition to other upcoming engagement opportunities between now and September. This scientific survey will include demographics.
"We find as many data points as we can to make the process as scientific as possible," Corbett said.
"This is just as collaborative as phase one, if not more so," he said.
More information is available online at www.epcusd401.org/referenduminfo or www.epcusd401.org ; select BoardDocs.