Recommended Student Assignment Plan
During the week of February 27, members of the District 65 leadership team held a series of virtual sessions to present the scenarios (related to attendance boundaries, overall district configuration, and, eventually, programming). We had approximately 700 people attend the virtual sessions and received over 1,200 thoughts and questions! Scenarios were developed by the community-based 40-person SAP Committee.
On March 7, 2022, Sarita Smith, Director of Student Assignments, presented an update along with the SAP Committee’s recommendation for a new Student Assignment Plan at the Board Curriculum and Policy Committee Meeting. If you missed the meeting, tune in to watch the recording and view the presentation in the Board Packet.
Our team really listened to the feedback shared by our community and knew we had to make some changes to more fully and equitably meet student needs through the first student assignment plan in nearly 30 years.
Recommended Student Assignment Plan At-A-Glance
- Construction of a neighborhood school in the 5th Ward (K-8)
- Financed through Lease Certificates and repaid by the District using transportation savings. No additional cost to taxpayers.
- Programming would be determined with community input
- Closure of the physical Bessie Rhodes building and co-locating the school community and magnet programming as part of the proposed 5th Ward campus
- Building would eventually be sold and funds would be used to support building needs and improvements across the District
- While several communal spaces would be shared, the magnet school would operate independently from the neighborhood school.
- King Arts remains a K-8 grade magnet school
- Revisions to elementary boundaries (all schools within 1 mile of students’ homes)
- View current boundaries and proposed boundaries on Google Maps
- Boundary revisions are largely reflective of the students who will attend their neighbourhood school in the 5th ward and to better align to natural/physical barriers and reduce busing due to hazards across the district
- No proposed changes to middle school feeder pattern.
Notes:
- The earliest a new Student Assignment Plan will take effect is the 2024-2025 school year. Students and staff will remain in existing schools and programming during the transition period.
- Decisions related to programming, across the District and at the proposed 5th Ward School, will take place with community input over the next year.
- Efforts will be made to help ensure a smooth transition and continuity for all. For example, students will be able to remain in their existing elementary school (through 5th grade) or middle school (through eighth grade). However, transportation is unable to be provided by the district.
- All families will be required to re-register their child(ren) in advance of the new student assignment plan going into effect.
- Sibling preference will remain in place for magnet schools/programming.
- Newly enrolled students, including siblings, will be assigned based on the approved student assignment plan.
- Recommendation to broaden policy around Permissive Transfer to offer families more school choice.
We strongly encourage our community to watch the recorded presentation for important context on the scenario presented.
Next Steps
A public presentation of the Student Assignment Plan along with the recommendation for Board action will take place at the Regular Board Meeting on Monday, March 14, at 7pm at the Joseph E. Hill Education Center (1500 McDaniel Ave, Evanston). The meeting will also be live streamed on the D65 website and the recording will be available on-demand following the meeting.
If the Student Assignment Plan is approved, the District will enter into the Implementation Phase (next 1.5 years). This will require significant input along the way by educators, staff, families, students, and residents. An approved plan is subject to change as a result of continued collaboration. In addition, student assignment will be reviewed on an annual basis with an in-depth assessment of the system every five years.
