The Unit 5 school district expects higher enrollment next school year, Superintendent Kristen Weikle said this week, noting the changing nature of the pandemic is altering the enrollment pattern as registration proceeds.
"We know that we had some families who opted to home school, or go to a private school that was open five days a week at the beginning of the school year that was in August. I do expect most of those families to come back," said Weikle.
Weikle said there also may be a shift in at least one grade size because of the pandemic.
"We probably have a larger kindergarten class enrolling just because I think some parents who maybe had kindergarten-age eligible children this year decided to not enroll their kids this year, and maybe wait until next school year," Weikle told WGLT.
Weikle said the enrollment picture is a little hard to gauge right now because of an active real estate market. She said that may mean some students will move to different schools in the fall. The district also is keeping an eye on hiring at Rivian.
Summer program
Unit 5 also is planning a summer enrichment program for students that have lost the most academic ground, or who are behind because of the pandemic -- 300 high school, 100 junior high and 370 Pre-K-5 students. That group of nearly 800 students who are one to two grade levels below where they should be in learning is about 6% of the 13,000-plus student body.
Weikle said there are other factors that may have prompted an invitation to the program as well.
"So, that might range from an English language learner who is still early in their development. It might be a student who is in a Tier 3 of what we call our CARES program for academic or social emotional support," she said.
Meanwhile, District 87 is offering summer enrichment for all students who want it. Weikle said Unit 5 is too large to offer summer school to everyone, questioning whether the district could get enough staff to make it work.
"Just like a lot of the medical staff in our hospitals and medical fields, people are tired. Our teachers, our support staff, everyone has worked really hard for over a year in such an unusual circumstance," she said.
Weikle said the summer program will cost less than $500,000. The district budgeted $500,000, but Weikle said it now appears Unit 5 can safely hold the program at two sites instead of three.
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