Rochelle Schools: Taxes, Grants, and Growing Preschools

The Rochelle Elementary School District has a lot going on. They recently decided to raise taxes by 4. 99% for 2025. This increase is just under the 5% threshold, so they didn't need a special hearing. The extra money will mostly go to transportation and special education, which are big expenses for the district. All four schools in the district got a "commendable" rating from the state. That's based on things like test scores and attendance. The goal is to reach "exemplary, " but there's still work to do. The district is using these ratings to make plans for improvement. Stepping Stones Preschool is growing fast. They moved into the old May Elementary School building and now have seven classrooms. They're focusing on getting kids ready for kindergarten with play-based learning and social skills. The goal is to have 220 students enrolled by the end of the year. Lincoln Elementary is putting more effort into teaching reading. They've seen better results since they started small group reading instruction every day. Phonics is also a big focus. The hope is that more kids will be able to read well by the end of first grade. The school board also approved applying for a grant to fix up a science area at the middle school. They'll need to match $50, 000, but the chances of getting the grant are good. Some staff changes were also approved, including a retirement and a new bilingual paraprofessional.