School board closes 6 buildings, cuts still on table
More than 500 people protested school closings outside Ellis Arts Academy before filling the auditorium to capacity at the Tuesday, March 1 school board meeting. (Photo by Jim Hagerty)
By Jim Hagerty
Staff Writer
It took nearly four hours for the school board to make an initial round of school closures at the Tuesday, March 1, meeting of the Rockford Board of Education.
More than 500 people filled the Ellis Arts Academy Auditorium as board officials moved to close six district schools.
Jackson Elementary, New Milford Elementary, Stiles Elementary, Skyview Center and Summerdale Elementary will not be open next year.
Ninth-graders at Auburn Freshman Campus will attend the main high school while the building becomes the new Kennedy Middle School.
The board rejected Superintendent Dr. LaVonne M. Sheffield’s proposal to close West View Elementary and Page Park School.
An initial motion to move West View students to other buildings and use the building to house leadership classes was voted down in favor of leaving the school as it is.
In other moves, Lewis Lemon Elementary will become a zoned school while Haskell Year-Round Academy will remain open.
Before adjourning at about 11 p.m., the board jumped into a second round of cuts, which included a number of motions regarding the elimination of programs. Motions on that level centered largely on laying over the matters until next week.
Decisions on the table March 8 include whether to eliminate Montessori and the language immersion program. If language immersion is cut, Barbour Language Academy would likely close or be repurposed.
Harmon Mitchell (Sub District-F) was hesitant to proceed with second-level cuts, citing his understanding that doing so hinged upon labor concessions from the teachers union.
“For some reason, I was led to understand that we couldn’t consider the second tier of items until we learned of possible concessions,” Mitchell said. “I’m wondering if we could lump these into addressing them when we know about these concessions?”
According to Board of Education President David Kelley, delaying second-tier talks would disrupt communication deadlines between the board and the union.
“It will be too late,” Kelley said. “Union negotiations are not going to be resolved before we have to file a notice.”
A rush to make second-level cuts, Mitchell said, would only make matters worse.
“Let me paint a scenario,” Mitchell continued. “Say we approved the closing of Maria Montessori and eliminating the Montessori program, and the union gives us concessions–and we’ve eliminated Montessori.”
“Then, we could bring it back,” Kelley responded, as the audience laughed.
The proposal to eliminate the Montessori program and close Maria Montessori School was later added to the agenda. When the board didn’t move, the matter was laid over.
Because the board closed Skyview, the home of Academic Career High School (ACE), where to house that program next year became a late-night dilemma.
Members suggested moving ACE students to East High or West Middle School before delaying discussions.
Nothing was spoken about the proposed athletic partnership with the Rockford Park District last night. The proposal is still in the hands of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA).
If the IHSA approves the partnership, which would turn some athletic program operations over the park district, District 205 teams would be eligible to compete in state leagues and tournaments. If the state does not approve the agreement, the sports program–on all levels–could be eliminated.
Here’s a breakdown of what’s been closed and what’s still on the table.
Schools closed
New Milford Elementary, Jackson Elementary, Stiles Elementary, Skyview Center, Summerdale Elementary and Kennedy Middle School will be closed next year.
Consolidations and repurposed buildings
The Auburn Freshman Campus will be the new Kennedy Middle School while Lewis Lemon Elementary will be a neighborhood school. Jackson Elementary students will attend Bloom and Nelson and New Milford students will be bused to Froberg Elementary and Nashold School.
Still on the table
The closure of Maria Montessori School, elimination of gifted glasses, which could close Washington Academy, and the elimination of ACE High School are expected to be voted on Tuesday, March 8.
Barbour Language Academy and Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) are still in jeopardy, as well as the Leadership and Learning Academy.
Ellis Arts Academy and Barbour Language Academy may become K-5 elementary schools. If Barbour becomes a traditional elementary school, the district could eliminate the language immersion program.
The board said it would mull eliminating eight assistant principal positions, in spite of Superintendent Sheffield’s advice to keep them.
Several zoning boundaries for elementary and middle schools will be re-drawn to reflect the changes, officials said.
The Rockford Board of Education meets every Tuesday at the District 205 Administration Building, 201 S. Madison St. Meetings begin at 7 p.m., and are open to the public.
As of this report, holding the March 8 meeting at Ellis for a second week was being considered.
Ellis Arts Academy is at 222 S. Central Ave.
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3 Comments
Schools that Heartland and the district picked for doing completly over with approximately 5000 workers, working numerous hours and thousands of donated dollars and they close them? Wait, these were discussed a year in advance as to which schools needed the work and would benefit by this. I have worked on the schools myself and this is the thanks that one receives. I can tell you this school district can’t survive with the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing. Do you know why Heartland was able to gather the people, money and do the work? Look at the scripture, a church is a body and as a body all the members work together in unison to do what is right. God designed the human body to work the same way, the superintendent and school board could benefit by looking at this example. Perhaps it’s time to help the private schools or this time raise funds to help those that want to go to private schools because this approch doens’t work with a group of school board members, superintents and administration that goes it’s own way.
Dave, maybe Heartland church should consider working diligently to have Dr. Sheffield and her Cabinet removed!!
Believe me, the community appreciated Heartland’s work but since Dr. Sheffield did NOT appreciate it, she allowed her “unfortunate” students to destroy the work that was done. It was less than a week before there was graffetti everywhere.
When was the last time one of the Heartland participants entered West Middle School? Go take a look at your hard work.
The damage done was by the same students that are always causing problems in the school. But since Dr. S won’t suspend or expell these students, they destroyed the pride the GOOD students had when they returned after summer break.
As a church, I would like to see your members take an active stand in our school district against the edicts from Dr. S that are ruining our schools and children in them.
Yes, there is separation of church and state but standing for what is right is a duty of ALL members of our community!!
Get involved in the school board meetings.
Dave- perhaps the administration is using Heartland to spruce up the future charter schools at no cost to them.
Sheffield claims she is not for charters although her proclaimed mentor John Anderson of Anderson Gardens, Chairman of the Rockford Charter School Initiative surely is.
Back door politics at their finest.