Thursday, May 5, 2011

Competition among school districts is heating up as they vie for the best, most advanced ways to boost enrollment.

But what may be missing from the latest brainstorming sessions are the reasons why some districts are luring students and others are not.

Niles Community Schools is launching its New Tech Entrepreneurial Academy this fall. Although not a new concept, New Tech is still new to Niles Community Schools. The academy will have 131 students this fall; 10 of the students are from outside the district — a good start for a first-year program. And financially, New Tech is covered so far,with the $146,000 in start-up money to be funded by outside organizations.

Niles is also offering online learning; a 24-hour “cyber cafe” where students can learn at their own pace; and all-day, everyday kindergarten. These progressive programs have largely resulted from new superintendent Richard Weigel’s goal to push Niles into a new “culture.”

But one big question has remained:What to do with Eastside Elementary?

Eastside closed last year due to budget cuts, and the school board may make a decision at its next meeting whether or not to open it as a magnet school. Details about what the school would specialize in have not been divulged, but Weigel indicated a bond would be necessary to make it a functioning, up-to-date building. The improvements would total millions of dollars. Architects have determined that the district would need to invest $200,000 in improvements just to open the ailing building.

But there are no other magnet schools locally. In fact, there are no districts in the immediate area that offer such programs, so they cannot lure students to their districts based on that reason. Excellent teachers, curriculum and class sizes will bring in students.

Schools — not just Niles, but all schools — need to make sure they are not only maintaining, but improving their core programs that are the heart of their schools. If test scores are low, a new program or academy won’t necessarily make up for that.

Niles has a lot on its plate right now, and those programs are a step in the right direction. But doing too much too soon could be detrimental when the district is in such a transitional phase. A bond issue failed in Buchanan this election, and taxpayers are wary about parting with their money in this economy.

A magnet school should not be taken off the table, but let’s give these other first-year programs — particularly New Tech — some time to see the progression before taking on a costly project such as a magnet school.