What we have been able to do with the 2017 Referendum Funds

The referendum money has allowed us to continue things and add new things for our schools.  The most important thing is bus transportation for our students to and from school was paid for by the referendum.  We were also able to add a “late bus” to pick up athletes from practice, students in after school tutoring, and students staying after school to participate in clubs, choir, band, and other activities providing them a way home from school.   Because of the referendum money, we were able to do things we could not have afforded before.

To provide social/emotional support to students, we were able to: 

• Provide counselors at each elementary school.

• Provide a social worker at Edison.

• Provide a licensed school psychologist to be the Director of Student Services at Edison.

To support and enrich our academic offerings to students, we were able to: 

• Restore the elementary art program that had been dropped 12 years prior. 

• Start a Pre-K program at both elementary schools. 

• Provide each student with a device for in-school and take-home use.

• Keep elementary academic competitions in spell bowl, math bowl, and science bowl ranking in the top 10 of schools in our division.

• Offer Elementary High Ability (GT) program instructed by a High Ability teacher in the school.

• Start STEM programs at the elementary schools and at Edison.

• Hire an additional FACS (Family and Consumer Science) Teacher to offer more career and technical education classes

• Move our 6th graders from the elementary schools to Edison so they could take elective classes for the first time and restore the 6th grade athletic programs.

• Add extracurricular offerings at Edison: Garden Club, Robotics Club competing in robotics competitions, Fishing Club, Spirit Club.

• Create the Edison Alternative High School for students needing a nontraditional high school setting.

• Provide online courses for Edison students including Advanced Placement (AP) and Dual credit classes so students may earn college credits before graduating high school.  

• Partner with the YMCA to offer swimming class as an advanced physical education class at the high school and a Lifeguard training class for interested students.

• Partner with the YMCA to offer "Introductory to Water Safety/Swimming" for all 4th grade students in the district.