March2020LM

Continued support of EBF would... Continued support of EBF would make it easier for Auburn CUSD #10 to comply with mandatory increases to the minimum wage and minimum teacher salaries without cutting vital programs or reducing staff.

Johnston City CUSD #1

Enrollment: 1,148 FY18: $499,158 FY20: $344,485 Type: preK–12 FY19: $302,734 How EBF has made a difference Additional state funding has resulted in lower classroom sizes, additional academic and social-emotional support for students, a new math curriculum, the option of summer school and the chance for middle and high school students in Johnston City CUSD #1 to learn robotics. “The impact has been huge,” said Superintendent Kathy Clark. “We are investing in our students and planning for the future. Instead of talking about how we can trim programming and serve more kids with fewer resources, we are improving and expanding our student offerings.” Johnston City CUSD #1 has hired additional teachers at the elementary, middle and high school levels, filling positions that were previously cut due to a lack of available funds. The elementary schools now have a full-time PE teacher for the first time. Elementary teachers have been hired to keep classroom sizes below 20 students at the K–4 buildings. At the middle school, two additional teachers have helped keep classroom sizes in check while an additional math teacher has been hired for the 20–21 school year at the high school to increase the level of support for students and create an additional math offering. In addition, new state funding allowed the district to hire paraprofessionals at the elementary and middle schools to provide more support for students who struggle to meet academic benchmarks. Furthermore, the district invested EBF dollars to better support an influx in the number of students who arrive at school having experienced some form of childhood trauma. That has included hiring two full time social workers, adopting a new social-emotional curriculum and hiring an assistant principal. “We have a lot of kids who have unmet physical and emotional needs,” Clark said. “This often interferes with their ability to learn. You have to address that first.” Lastly, EBF allowed the district to replace its K–4 math curriculum, offer a credit-recovery program over the summer and provide robotics programming to middle and high school students. Continued support of EBF would... Continued funding of EBF would also allow Johnston City CUSD #1 to expand middle and high school offerings, especially in the area of career and technical education.

Eldorado Unit #4

Enrollment: 1,149 FY18: $556,099 FY20: $331,121 Type: preK–12 FY19: $383,469 How EBF has made a difference The passage of EBF has transformed Eldorado Unit #4. The district stretched its dollars to offer full day preschool, restore art at the elementary school, hire a second music teacher, hire three teacher aides, add a truancy interventionist and support transportation and building needs. “EBF saved our district,” said Superintendent Ryan Hobbs. “We had a barebones operation during proration. It was stressful because people’s careers were on the line. We now have some peace of mind and can invest dollars back into our kids.” The dollars Eldorado Unit #4 received through the Early Childhood Block Grant weren’t enough to offer preschool full time. EBF allowed the district to hire two additional preschool teachers and expand the program, greatly benefiting early learners and parents in the community. Art and music programs at the elementary school have also been restored—marking the first time in over 20 years the district could offer the programs to students. “It’s been so great for our younger students to have that opportunity,” Hobbs said. “Unfortunately, it was one of those things that were cut years ago for budgetary reasons.” The addition of a truancy interventionist is also helping the district boost its attendance rates, which in turn has led to some academic gains. Lastly, the district used EBF to help with the purchase new school buses and pay for some maintenance projects. Continued support of EBF would... If the General Assembly continued to fund EBF, Eldorado Unit #4 could lower elementary and preschool class sizes by hiring additional teachers. The district would also like to update math, reading and other curriculum to make sure students are learning from materials that are updated and aligned to Illinois Learning Standards. Lastly, the district would continue to invest in technology and purchase new Chromebooks to move closer to 1:1.

17 LM March 2020 continued...