Dates set for Collinsville District 10 hearings on proposal to close Jefferson Elementary

Belleville News-Democrat
·2 min read

Collinsville Community Unit School District 10’s Board of Education has announced the dates it will hold public hearings on a proposal to close Jefferson Elementary and relocate students to Summit and Twin Echo elementary schools.

All three hearings will take place at the district’s administrative annex at 123 W. Clay on the following days and times:

  • Monday, May 6 at 6:30 p.m.

  • Monday, May 13 at 7:30 p.m.

  • Tuesday, May 21 at 6 p.m.

Each hearing will include an overview of the proposal and opportunity for public input, followed by any comments from the board.

The district announced Tuesday that it’s considering closing Jefferson Elementary, one of its two smallest elementary schools tucked away on Boskydells Drive, following a board 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 to Jefferson families.

The main reason for the proposal is low enrollment at both Jefferson and Summit elementary schools. This school year, there are 72 students at Summit and 82 at Jefferson. Projections for next year show that enrollment at each would be less than 80.

“Having two buildings with less than 100 students is not sustainable,” Skertich wrote in the letter.

Other factors in the consideration have been the age, accessibility and needed improvements at both schools, including the lack of ADA accessibility at Jefferson and inability to offer services to special education students and English language learners at Jefferson due to the building’s configuration.

The proposal would use St. Louis Road as the boundary for reassigning current Jefferson students to Summit and Twin Echo elementary schools. All staff would maintain their employment and continue in similar roles, the letter said.

“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 concluded the letter.