There were a few glitches — such as one teacher quitting his or her job on the night before class was to start. But as the 2015-2016 school year came alive Monday, “all in all, it was a great day,” CEO Tony Sanders told the Elgin School District U46 Board of Education 12 hours later. “We didn’t lose any kindergartners.”
The district’s top administrators reported to the board Monday night on how everything had gone as the district’s 40,000 students, 2,500 teachers and 378 school buses all swung into action.
Former Superintendent Jose Torres used to say that on opening day of a new year, a school district doesn’t have the luxury of gradually gearing up in increments to full speed. It’s more like throwing a switch and having to get everything swing instantly into action, he said. But Assistant Superintendent Suzanne Johnson noted that the teachers had to go back to work last Wednesday and many had attended training days since then.
On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday most of the teachers attended “professional development” sessions at Elgin Community College, Judson University and Gail Borden Public Library, learning more about how to teach the district’s new Eureka Math curriculum and how to support the new district’s new five-year strategic plan.
Sanders himself said he got up at 5 a.m. and rode along with bus driver Lois Cooks as she drove pick-up routes for students bound for first Streamwood High School, then Hilltop Elementary School and finally Ellis Middle School. By spreading the starting times at different schools, the district is able to have one bus and one driver service multiple schools and reduce the number of buses needed.
Sanders said he also stopped by the central commissary, where meals are prepared for the grade schools.
Assistant Superintendent Ron Raglin said he was impressed on a visit to Ellis Middle School in Elgin by how “all the students were saying, ‘Yes, sir.'”
“We bought thousands of computers and got them installed and in operation by the start of the school year,” Chief Operating Officer Jeff King said.
“We actually had one resignation from a teacher last night at 8 p.m.,” Assistant Superintendent Melanie Meidel said. “But even that classroom had a qualified teacher in there this morning.”
Assistant Superintendent Steve Burger said the 20,000 elementary students who showed up for class Monday are equal to the population of one of the 130 largest cities in Illinois.
New Assistant Superintendent Terri Lozier said that in the high schools and middle schools she saw the familiar sight of teachers and administrators helping new students figure out how to open their lockers.
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Board Member Cody Holt said he gives “props” to the Elgin Police Department for enforcing the 20 mph speed zones around the schools.
And Sanders said that comment about “not losing” any kindergarten kids is semi-serious: It’s common at the end of an opening day for a kindergartner to end up still on the bus, having missed the place to get off.