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life professionally,” said Dr. Jill Griffin, who took over as superintendent in 2016. “We cut positions in every single category and had to take classroom sizes up and cut from the district office. EBF was the lifeline that gave us an opportunity to add positions back and provide additional resources to our students.” Bethalto hired six elementary teachers, a middle school counselor, two special education teachers, a math interventionist, a curriculum director, a middle and high school dean, a part-time teacher at the high school, psychologists, social workers and nurses. The district was able to make the investment into staffing because EBF is a sustainable funding source and not a one-time influx of dollars. Adding six elementary teachers lowered classroom sizes and improved the overall learning experience for younger students. The middle school counselor has also played an essential role in helping eighth grade students begin to think about specific career pathways and help them make a more successful transition into high school. Furthermore, EBF allowed Bethalto CUSD #8 to staff each of the district’s five schools with a psychologist and social worker in every building. “We had no idea the pandemic was coming, but I can’t imagine what we would have done without having the people in place to support the social-emotional needs of our students,” Dr. Griffin said. “Having that level of support for our students has made a significant impact on everyone while taking some of that burden off of the teachers during such a demanding time in the classroom.” EBF also made it possible for Bethalto CUSD #8 to have a school nurse in each building. As a result, the district had the manpower to deploy COVID-19 antigen tests to students and staff during the pandemic. “Using the antigen tests helped us isolate the spread of the virus while minimizing the impact on learning,” Dr. Griffin said. “EBF has truly been a game changer for us.” Continued Support of EBF would … If the state properly funded EBF, Bethalto CUSD #8 would

have the resources it needs to create systemic change across the organization. Combining EBF with federal funds, the district hopes to implement a new coaching model for teachers and foster Professional Learning Communities. Additional EBF dollars are needed to hire the additional staff needed to make this vision a reality.

Genoa-Kingston CUSD #424

Enrollment: 1,587 FY18: $558,024 FY20: $360,774 Type: preK-12 FY19: $424,779 FY21: Flat Funding

How EBF has made a difference Following the passage of Evidence-Based Funding, Genoa-Kingston CUSD #424 conducted a gap analysis to help determine staffing needs and areas of deficiency. The results were revealing. The district was 47 full-time employees short of meeting adequate staffing levels. When EBF dollars began to flow, Genoa-Kingston CUSD #424 began to address the findings and add staff to better support the needs of students and improve the quality of education in the district. Overall, eight additional full-time employees have been hired as a result of EBF. “EBF has been phenomenal,” said Superintendent Brent O’Daniell. “Any time you can add staff, you are easing the burden on existing staff and allowing employees to perform their job a little better, better serve students and improve student performance.” Two art instructors were also hired back, allowing the district to expand its offerings and make art available to students in grades K-12. “Our district has a philosophy of educating the whole child, so being able to offer art and provide students with that creative outlet has been tremendous,” O’Daniell said.

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19 LM MAY 2021