May LM 2019 Special Issue_press

Series Conclusion

Northcentral Super Region

Enrollment: 3,957 FY18: $1.07 million Type: preK–12 FY19: $1.16 million Academic growth for all students and social-emotional development are target goals Freeport SD #145 has identified with its Evidence-Based Funding dollars, superintendent Dr. Michael Schiffman said. On the academic end, Schiffman said, EBF has made it possible for the district to undergo a major realignment at the middle school level. Instead of two middle schools housing fifth through eighth graders, the district now has a 5-6 building and 7-8 building. Doing so required hiring eight additional teachers—a cost the district never would have been able to support without EBF. “We really think we’re going to see good gains both academically and socially and emotionally under this model,” Schiffman said. Other ways EBF is helping Freeport is technology, a new curriculum and more professional development opportunities for teachers. The high school is undergoing a one-to-one initiative with Google Chromebooks. “We knew we needed additional supports for kids,” Humphries said. For FY19, East Moline is looking to provide more support in math with the addition of an instructional coach at the middle school. The EBM funds have also been used to hire two additional social workers and a music teacher, he said. “It’s a feeling that is unexplainable,” Humphries said about how budgeting is different under EBM. “The quality of a child’s education is less dependent on their zip code.” Freeport SD #145

East Moline SD #37

Enrollment: 2,591 FY18: $1.3 million Type: preK–12 FY19: $928,979

For the first time in years, East Moline Superintendent Dr. Kristin Humphries said the district isn’t in cost-cutting mode. Like many districts, Humphries said, pro-ration in state funding has been devastating—some years losing over $1 million in general state aid. However, the passage of EBM helped stabilize the budget, and the district can now look to bring back and expand opportunities for kids. The top priority with the EBM funds, Humphries said, is additional reading supports in the elementary schools. East Moline is a diverse district, where almost 40 languages are spoken. With the new dollars in FY18, East Moline hired an instructional reading coach and reading aides to do direct intervention work with kids struggling to read.

6 LMMay 2019 Special Edition