Collinsville District 10 considers closing an elementary school
Collinsville Community Unit School District 10 is considering closing Jefferson Elementary at the end of the school year due to low enrollment, the district announced Tuesday.
The announcement follows a board of education meeting Monday night where enrollment challenges were discussed.
Following that discussion, the board directed the district to schedule three public hearings to get community input on the closure proposal, Superintendent Mark B. Skertich said in a letter sent to Jefferson families Tuesday. The dates and locations for those hearings will be shared on the district’s website.
“Few tasks undertaken by a school district are more difficult than considering a school closure. Throughout the process, it has been noted the positive impact Jefferson Elementary has had on generations of Kahoks. Its students, staff, families and alumni are an integral part of the community and we will navigate this challenge together,” Skertich wrote.
The proposal would use St. Louis Road as the boundary for reassigning current Jefferson students to Summit and Twin Echo elementary schools. The district’s goal is to minimize the impact on the students by placing them in similar sized schools nearby.
All staff would maintain their employment and continue in similar roles, the letter said.
Cited as the primary factor for the consideration to close Jefferson Elementary come May is enrollment at both Jefferson and Summit elementary schools, which is “significantly smaller” than enrollment at the district’s other schools. This school year, Summit has a total of 72 students and Jefferson has 82. Twin Echo, the next smallest school in District 10, had 213 students enrolled in the previous year.
Projections for next year show that enrollment at each school would be less than 80, with some classes in the single digits.
“Having two buildings with less than 100 students is not sustainable,” Skertich wrote.
While the trends have been occurring for years, the district hasn’t discussed any major changes until now because it was focused on getting students and staff back to a normal routine following the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are at the crossroads of a difficult choice. This conversation has not been easy,” he continued.
Other factors in the consideration were the age, accessibility and needed improvements at both schools, including:
Lack of ADA accessibility at Jefferson Elementary, which would require at least $1 million to add an elevator, gym space and updated restrooms, while Summit Elementary would not require significant renovations.
Summit’s multipurpose gym and cafeteria compared to Jefferson’s small cafeteria and gym space.
Room for expansion and additional parking at Summit.
Feasibility of additional bus transportation to Summit compared to limited bus access at Jefferson.
The configuration of Jefferson not allowing for the opportunity to offer services to special education students and English language learners.
In March, voters passed a tax rate referendum 3,209-2,502 allowing Collinsville District 10 to transfer funds it will get from retiring bonds issued in the early 2000s to another part of its budget. The process, known as a “tax transfer,” will generate about $2.3 million annually that the district will use to make critical facility improvements at the schools.
Jefferson Elementary was slated to receive safety and security updates as well as new paint and LED lights.
