- Winnetka Public Schools
- Enrollment Balancing Project Overview
Frequently Asked Questions
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How many schools are in the district and what grade levels are currently housed at each school?
The Winnetka Public Schools District 36 is comprised of five schools. Three elementary buildings house grades kindergarten through 4th grade: Crow Island, Greeley, and Hubbard Woods. The Skokie School is a lower Middle School housing grades 5 and 6. Carleton Washburne is an upper Middle School housing grades 7 and 8.
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Why is the district conducting the enrollment balancing project?
The District is addressing an imbalance in the elementary school attendance patterns at the three K-4 schools, forecasting enrollment trends, and identifying anticipated future space needs for all schools in the District.
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What prior steps did the District take to address this imbalance?
In June 2016, temporary classrooms were installed at Crow Island School, the District’s largest elementary school at ~385 students, to provide immediate space relief. This is in addition to actions taken in 2015 to modify space at Crow Island School and to transfer two District programs to other sites.
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How is this project linked to the kindergarten study?
While the District annually monitors enrollment trends and data (and has been monitoring this particular trend for the past five years), the need for more sophisticated long-term forecasting became apparent as the District considered the implementation of an extended-day kindergarten program. Even without the implementation of an extended kindergarten day, there is an imbalance in the enrollments at the elementary level that requires resolution.
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What is the timeline for the project?
In June 2016, the District began working with demographers and geographers from McKibben Demographic Research, LLC, and Cropper GIS to develop enrollment forecasts by school, by grade. An initial demographic and capacity report was presented at the August 16, 2016, School Board meeting. Updates were shared at Board Meetings. A Board Advisory Committee, comprised of a variety of stakeholders, was engaged in a series of meetings to determine a recommendation for the Board on the best course of action to correct the imbalanced enrollment. At the January 24, 2017, Board Meeting the Board voted to approve the Advisory Committee recomendation that all Crow Island Kindergarten students attend another District school.
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How can I follow the progress of, and stay up to date on this project?
This dedicated web page includes an archive of all reports, presentations, meeting agendas, and minutes regarding this project.
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What opportunities did the community have to provide feedback regarding possible options to balance enrollment and implement the extended kindergarten day program?
Community members were invited to participate in a survey to determine Guiding Principles regarding this project. The Guiding Principles were used to assist in the evaluation of enrollment options, as well as evaluate the options prior to presenting a recommendation to the Board. A Board appointed Advisory Committee was charged with the responsibility to develop a final recommendation for Board consideration prior to action being taken. Once options were evaluated by the Advisory Committee, community engagement sessions were offered. Every Board Meeting included the opportunity for public comment. The EBP webpage also provided a link for community members to comment upon the project.
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How was the board-appointed advisory committee formed?
Community and staff members were invited to apply for a position on the committee in early September. The Committee was comprised of a cross-section of community members who currently have children in District 36 schools, taxpayers without children in the schools, staff members, and administration.
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What are potential long-term solutions to address the enrollment imbalance?
A review of solutions adopted by other school districts that have addressed similar situations includes
- waiting for enrollment to self-correct
- reconfiguring grades housed at school buildings
- amending school boundaries to shift enrollment
- school construction to expand space at one or more schools
The District will explore a variety of options and may adopt one or a combination of solutions to most effectively house students and programs.
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What types of models are currently being analyzed?
In an effort to be as thorough as possible, the Committee analyized a range of models that school districts typically consider during an enrollment balancing process. Each model was objectively presented to the Committee by our demographic consultant. Initial models presented a range of options that included shifting attendance boundaries, decreasing the number of schools, reconfiguring grade levels at schools, adding additional space at a school, and remaining status quo.
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Was an extreme model - doing nothing or closing a school - among the viable models considered?
Neither concept received meaningful consideration as adopting either model would provide an undesirable resolution to the imbalance in enrollment.
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How were the Guiding Principles developed and how were they used?
Guiding Principles were determined based on staff and community input via a survey administered in September 2016. The Guiding Principles were adopted by the School Board at the October 18, 2016, meeting. The Board Advisory Committee was charged with using these Guiding Principles as a filter for decision-making.
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What steps were taken prior to a recommendation being crafted for the School Board?
Prior to agreeing upon a final recommendation, the community was invited to respond to Committee-recommended models at input sessions that were held in December and early January 2017. These input sessions allowed for participants to learn about the models, ask questions, and provide feedback to the committee members before a recommendation was made to the School Board.
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When was the committee's recommendation approved by the School Board and when will it be implemented?
The School Board voted on the committee's recommendation (All Crow Island Kindergarten students attend another district school) on January 24, 2017.
Phase II of long-term planning will begin in spring/summer 2017 and involve additional participation and input from our community.
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What feedback methods were available during Phase I of the EBP?
The community was able to:
Email feedback to the Advisory Committee.
Participate in December and January input sessions.
Make use of public comment sessions that were included on the agendas for both the Advisory Committee meetings and the regular School Board meetings.
Enrollment Balancing Project Overview
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To address imbalanced attendance patterns at the three District 36 elementary schools, forecast enrollment trends, and identify anticipated future space needs, the School Board of the Winnetka Public Schools began the Enrollment Balancing Project in summer 2016. Demographers and geographers from McKibben Demographic Research, LLC, and Cropper GIS developed potential models to immediately address the current enrollment imbalance (Phase I) and identify solutions to support the long-term needs of the District (Phase II).
In fall 2016, the School Board established an Advisory Committee of staff, parents, and community members to evaluate the feasibility of these models and collaborate on the decision-making process before the Board took action on Phase I. Before any decisions were made, staff, parents, and community members were invited to share feedback at input sessions held in the fall and winter. At the January 24, 2017, Board Meeting, the School Board unanimously approved the Board Advisory Committee’s recommendation that All Crow Island Kindergarten students attend another District school. This is effective starting with the 2017-2018 school year.
This Phase I solution for the Enrollment Balancing Project is expected to be in place as the Board identifies a long-term Phase II solution to address imbalanced enrollment. Phase II planning is underway and includes an Educational Master Facility Plan, the District’s first in 20 years. Throughout this process, the Board is committed to maintaining high quality programming, engaging staff and community members, providing clear information, and listening and responding to feedback.
Throughout this process, the Board is committed to maintaining high quality programming, engaging staff and community members, providing clear information, and listening and responding to feedback.
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January 2017
01/17/2017
Enrollment Balancing Project Board Advisory Committee Meeting Materials (819.45 KB)
01/12/2017
Enrollment Balancing Project Board Advisory Committee Meeting Materials (609.21 KB)
01/09/2017
Enrollment Balancing Project Informational Video, shown at Staff and Community Input Sessions in December 2016 and January 2017
01/09/2017
The detailed description of the projected impacts, logistics, benefits and challenges of the four Phase I models, along with possible Phase II concepts, shared at Staff and Community Input Sessions in December 2016 and January 2017. (398.85 KB)
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December 2016
12/12/2016
Enrollment Balancing Project Board Advisory Committee Meeting Materials (95.08 KB)
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November 2016
11/29/2016
Enrollment Balancing Project Board Advisory Committee Meeting Materials (2.93 MB)
11/14/2016
Enrollment Balancing Project Board Advisory Committee Meeting Materials (5.55 MB)
11/01/2016
Enrollment Balancing Project Board Advisory Committee Meeting Materials (2.44 MB)
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October 2016
10/25/2016
Presentation of Demographic Study and Capacity/Utilization Study Findings to the Board Advisory Committee (1.39 MB)
10/18/2016
Enrollment Balancing Project Update Board Memo (325.63 KB)
Revised Demographic Study (364.14 KB)
Revised Capacity Study (353.95 KB)
Enrollment Balancing Project Guiding Principles Board Presentation (516.97 KB)
Enrollment Balancing Project Guiding Principles (Approved) (354.65 KB)
Summary of Data Collected from September 2016 Staff & Community Survey (revised 10/31/2016) (57.68 KB)
Summary of Community & Staff Comments from September 2016 Survey (59.92 KB)
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September 2016
09/28/2016
Committee Members (48.47 KB)
09/26/2016
Advisory Committee Meeting Agenda, September 26, 2016 (330.87 KB)
Advisory Committee Meeting Presentation September 26, 2016 (1.43 MB)
Enrollment Balancing Project Board Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes (471.84 KB)
09/20/2016
Board Highlights from September 20th, 2016 Meeting (138.41 KB)
Board Meeting (Including Advisory Committee Members) (129.77 KB)
09/19/2016
Advisory Committee Meeting Dates for 2016-2017 (323.41 KB)
Per attached memo, the Enrollment Balancing Project Advisory Committee will meet on the following dates and times in the Carleton Washburne Resource Center located at 515 Hibbard Street, Winnetka IL.
- Monday, September 26, 5:00-9:00 p.m.
- Tuesday, October 25, 6:00-9:00 p.m.
- Tuesday, November 1, 6:00-9:00 p.m.
- Monday, November 14, 6:00-9:00 p.m.
- Tuesday, November 29, 6:00-9:00 p.m.
- Thursday January 12, 6:00-9:00 p.m.
- Tuesday, January 17, 6:00-9:00 p.m.
09/08/2016
Enrollment Balancing Project Community Survey (Closed)
Community members were invited to share input on what values they would like considered throughout the Enrollment Balancing Project decision-making process via a survey that was open from September 8 through September 18, 2016.
09/06/2016
Community Presentation, Enrollment Balancing Project Informational Meetings Presentation (1.1 MB)
Community Presentation, Board Advisory Committee Meeting Dates and Session Agendas (316.97 KB)
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July 2016
07/01/2016
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June 2016
06/29/2016
Board Memo on Demographic & Capacity Study (199.16 KB)
Presentation on Demographic & Capacity Study by McKibben Demographics, LLC, & Cropper GIS (2.14 MB)
06/08/2016
Board Memo on Enrollment (126.47 KB)