Unit 5 is celebrating the results of its annual school report card and focusing on schools that need improvement.
Six Unit 5 schools reached exemplary status [Carlock, Grove, Northpoint, Pepper Ridge, Prairieland, and Towanda elementary schools] for ranking among the top 10% of schools in the state in the recent Illinois State School Report Card. The district had 20 schools get an exemplary or commendable designation.
“They did not have any under performing student groups, which is definitely something to celebrate,” superintendent Kristen Weikle said in an interview on WGLT’s Sound Ideas.
Oakdale and Fox Creek elementary schools received the targeted designation, defined as schools where at least one student group performs at or below the lowest performing 5% of schools. The Illinois State Board of Education [ISBE] requires those schools develop an improvement plan.
Weikle the district will consider several ways to help schools that came up short.
“Sometimes, that is extra reading or math teachers, maybe it’s an intervention to help with academics or some behaviors. It really depends on what the school and students need,” she said. “It looks different from building to building, based on need.”
Fox Creek Elementary requires more support for English learners and Oakdale needs greater support for children with disabilities, according to the report.
Oakdale and Fox Creek both have high percentages of students from low-income families.
School funding
The report noted Unit 5 is classified as a Tier II district, based on its funding at 78% of adequacy. That helps the district secure additional dollars from the state’s evidence-based funding formula that has four tiers.
Weikle said a contributing factor in the district’s Tier II status is the district has not yet collected funds from the education fund referendum that voters approved last year.
“We committed to our constituents we would not ask for [those funds] until we had paid off some building bonds. So we are keeping our commitment,” said Weikle, adding Unit 5 plans to apply the higher education fund rate starting in 2025.
Weikle said she’s skeptical that boost in property tax funding will move the district to a higher funding tier, potentially risking some state funding, but she said it’s possible it will in two to three years.
YouthBuild
YouthBuild McLean County, a charter school in Normal that offers education and job training services for youth and young adults, was given a comprehensive rating in the Report Card. That designation applies to the lowest-performing 5% of schools in Illinois.
YouthBuild is not operated by Unit 5, but is included in the report because it's within the district's geographic boundaries. Weikle noted it’s the first time YouthBuild appeared on Unit 5’s report card, adding ISBE indicated the state needed three years worth of assessment data on YouthBuild.
“We will be working with YouthBuild to develop and go through the school improvement process just like we do for all of our schools,” Weikle said.
