HUNTLEY – Approximately 50 Sun City residents went to school on April 25th when District 158 opened the Huntley High School doors for an update on happenings in the District.
Superintendent Dr. Scott Rowe spent the first hour of the day talking about how the District has evolved since March of 2020, the day Covid-19 shut the school doors.
“Every student has a Chromebook” stated Rowe. He continued, “Our students have had them for ten years and we were prepared for remote learning long before we needed to be.”
Rowe touched on what he called their “three target pillars of focus” in the District. He stated “(1) Academic Interventions to offset Learning Loss; (2) Social/emotional learning that social media is not the answer; and (3) Equity in Action with the slogan ’All Students – Always’, which focuses on better ways to serve students.
The District’s 5 year strategic plan was explored. Rowe referenced how “the no child left behind act of 2001 focused on children going to college and that is where schools were held accountable.” “Now,” he continued, “there are not enough people to fill the voids in the trades.”
District 158 is now offering programs on welding, auto mechanics, manufacturing and a medical academy. “These programs are to prepare students to fill the void in these areas” Rowe continued.
“Personalized Learning is a big goal at District 158” stated Rowe.
He highlighted Blended Learning where students can attend class 3 days a week and 2 days with on-line learning.
“Competency Based Education is the future” according to Rowe. He explained that it is “tailoring learning to the individual and controlling the pace at which the student progresses.”
D158 CFO Mark Altmayer explained to SC residents that the district is the most energy efficient in the state.
“The Vanguard Vision Program,” continued Rowe, “focused on how student learn.” He said that “during the pandemic, with remote learning, the Vanguard Vision group showed more progress than any other group in the District.” He said that “we need to explore and work on this program more.”
According to Rowe, “there are seven endorsements offered by the District that offer career pathways with internships with course partners in the community.” He continued, “These internships result in workforce readiness in the trades.”
He highlighted the “30 students in the Medical Academy that accompany rounds in every department at the Northwestern Hospital in Huntley.”
“Our graduates report that they feel that they are ahead of their collegiate contemporaries as a result of the Blended Learning classes they experienced at Huntley High School” stated Rowe. He added that they report “knowing how to learn and manage their time” in college.
Dr. Erika Schlichter, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, described the Dual Degree Program that is offered at Huntley High School in conjunction with the McHenry County College. “It’s a way in which we put together a course sequence for students while they’re High School students, so that they can take enough college course work to earn an Associate in Arts Degree at MCC.”
Schlichter continued, “Students apply for the program at the end of 10th grade. Those that are accepted start their MCC classes in the summer before 11th grade. They will go every summer and take the full compendium courses through those semesters.”
“When they put that all together and successfully complete the courses, they can then actually attend both the MCC and the HHS graduations” she explained.
She further explained that “some will transfer their credits into a four-year college as a junior. They will have saved some money and be able to move forward with their lives that much quicker.”
A question was asked how the dual degree program is funded. “Schlichter explained that one-third of the cost is paid for by the student, one-third by District 158 and the remainder by MCC.”
60 MCC credit hours are required for degree completion. The current credit hour cost is $111.50 per hour. That means that the Huntley High School student’s cost for the Associate Degree would be $2,230 at the present credit hour rate.
On another subject, Schlichter stated that “when we think about where our students are going, trades have become extremely technical. There are many times where an individual needs industrial certification, or something in addition to high school.”
She pointed out that “one example of what we’re doing at HHS is how we are able to move our students in that direction.” She referenced the Medical Academy mentioned by Rowe along with welding and mechanical classes now being offered at HHS.
The District Chief Financial Officer, Mark Altmayer, spoke next. “We need to do what we need to do to spend your money wisely so that we can remain sustainable to meet the needs of our students” was his opening comment.
He explained that every school in the state is rated academically and fiscally and is awarded a profile score ranging from 1 to 4. One of the fiscal profile measurements is how much a District spends per student on education.
“We like to think that District 158 is the most operationally efficient District in the state.” He continued, “District 158 is one of the lowest spending, per student, District in the Chicago area at $11,000 per student.” Altmayer explained that “the per student cost is arrived at by dividing the District’s operational expenses by the number of students in the District.”
In a manner of speaking, Altmayer bragged that “District 158 is the most energy efficient District in the state.” He presented some historical background, “The District spent $2.4 million on energy in 2009. Cost cutting measures reduced that cost to $1.1 million a couple of years ago by implementing specific cost cutting measures.”
“You look out back now at the solar array and you’ll see how our annual energy costs are now in the $900,000 range,” he announced.
He concluded by pointing out that “one-third of the District’s bus fleet is now propane powered. Those 33 buses have reduced the overall operating costs of the fleet,” he explained.
In closing he announced that the District was awarded a $1.1 million grant to purchase 4 electric buses for the District. He joked that he should have asked for six.
At the conclusion of the presentation’s, several HHS students gave the Sun City residents tours of the high school. They visited the Medical Academy, the Coffee Bar and technology classrooms.
