Schools
D113A Board Likes Idea of Moving 5th Graders Back to River Valley
More research is needed into cost and staffing, but District 113A board members liked what they heard during a Nov. 20 meeting.
District 113A board members are leaning toward relocating the district's fifth grade students from Old Quarry back to River Valley, as voted in an informal poll during a Nov. 20 meeting.
A presentation during the meeting detailed the options of the students staying put or moving. A shift to River Valley would require repurposing classrooms currently used as resource areas, potentially hiring additional staff, and evaluation of curriculum and activities offered.
All board members voted in favor of more research into relocating the students. The vote is not official, but determined which option to pursue more in-depth.
"The move of fifth grade to Old Quarry was never meant to be permanent," said board member Dave Molitor. "I think it's served its usefulness."
A subcommittee researched the options with the goals of optimizing space, balancing enrollment at all three schools, and meeting future needs. Key issues considered included curriculum continuity, professional development/collaboration, and scheduling.
Moving the students back to River Valley would more evenly distribute the overall enrollment of the district, breaking it down to 570 students at Oakwood, 815 at Old Quarry, and 730 at River Valley.
All fifth-grade classes in District 113A were moved to Old Quarry in 2011, when the board voted to close Central School. The consolidation brought on many concerns about space issues at Old Quarry, as well as the students' transition to middle school.
Current space used as resource areas at River Valley would be partitioned into classrooms to accommodate the increase. If the students stayed at Old Quarry, there would be fewer options to create space, other than restructuring the Learning Resource Center.
Additional part-time staff would be needed at River Valley—possibly including a physical education or music teacher—and more administrative support would be necessary with either option.
If the students stay at Old Quarry, some teachers might be relegated to teaching from carts, rather than assigned classrooms. The school offers "no room to grow," according to the presentation.
Following the board's informal vote, Assistant Superintendent Mary Gricus will look deeper into the cost of the move, including additional staff and partitions needed to restructure space.
The board hopes to have a decision by January. Transition activities would span January through August, and the logistical aspects of the move would begin in spring 2014.
The decision is not final until a formal vote.
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