[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6272517,"mediaKeyId","3027657-98a1640c1ddcfd02c9f404a3e0c21352","parentId",3027657,"title","D303 board approves relocation of 'access' elementary classrooms from Anderson to Coron amid parental objections","audioSeconds",2040,"startMs",7298000,"endMs",9338000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3027657-98a1640c1ddcfd02c9f404a3e0c21352&start=7298&end=9338","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3027657-98a1640c1ddcfd02c9f404a3e0c21352/thumbnail_7298000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6272517/Illinois/D303-board-approves-relocation-of-access-elementary-classrooms-from-Anderson-to-Coron-amid-parental-objections","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6272517-088ecc05b4379c8b10267ad4eff9b791/orig.mp4?Expires=1770279430&Signature=E5ebasSD9Xi-DGqVUYN343CPLUfXtQohcblU0ZIwiUSzQpSvNQqhrZMGFFHiFrFVFp2cUfrBNBJ9wyKTGBndymz15e7P~F7ONDDpxCmR-0hp6HzAPffieFUqkPl1rPOnWT4U9CC9CD2hEn8~DGeUp9wSdYNSsMNn0AiA-VxeXEqrutaMSO9JR4VvML9mUy~Y4B8SZ-iykBtedWTF~559qhdWCU7wBlLrtVipK~VDP6S3uU0wIbDC9O5qMLACBbrfygkg9RCw9DnaNyZ6w~cgI2REjL9bRSV4ktV~XOc-SQ8WkrxL0Xmtab8lj5thIWtlkEuJXEPhbH2YSjuPWgtRZA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","St Charles CUSD 303","date","2025-04-17T00:11:22.36Z","article","The St. Charles CUSD 303 Board of Education voted 5–1 on April 14 to relocate two elementary-level \"access\" classrooms currently at Anderson Elementary to Coron Elementary beginning in the 2025–26 school year, amid extended public comment from families and educators who urged the district to keep students at Anderson.

Board action and vote

The board motion, as read by the agenda, asked members to approve “the relocation of access classrooms currently located in Anderson Elementary to Coron Elementary beginning with the 2526 school year.” Board member Matthew Lentz moved the motion; Mr. McNally seconded. Roll-call votes recorded in the transcript show: Mrs. McCabe — yes; Mr. McNally — yes; Mrs. Bell — yes; Mr. Kuchert — yes; Mr. Lentz — yes; Mr. Lackner — no. The motion carried, 5–1.

Administrators' rationale

Superintendent Dr. Gordon and special-education leaders said Coron offers more and better-configured space for the access program’s instructional needs and allied services. Karen Pratt and district staff told the board that Coron has three contiguous classroom spaces suitable for access programming, dedicated occupational-therapy and sensory rooms separate from core classrooms, larger storage and confidential office areas for therapists, and a West-side location the district does not currently have.

To staff the move and expand services, the district proposes adding one speech-language pathology assistant and one paraprofessional to support the additional section planned at Coron. Pratt said the district would also continue STAR Autism Support professional learning — a workshop plus embedded coaching model the district already uses — in spring and over the summer to prepare staff, and offer multiple opportunities for families and staff to visit Coron before the fall. The district said it will use the remaining weeks of the school year and summer to plan visits, collaborative meetings, and embedded coaching so the transition is intentional rather than rushed.

Program structure and costs

District materials presented at the meeting say that, for the next school year, the access program would be distributed as follows: two sections at Munhall, two at Fox Ridge, and three at Coron (reflecting the two Anderson sections moving to Coron plus a kindergarten section being added to Coron). The district said it will hire one additional paraprofessional and one speech-language pathology assistant; details about salary costs and budget line items were not specified in the presentation.

Families' concerns and public comment

Parents and community advocates offered extended public comment before the board discussion. Colleen Backer, who identified herself as a parent and educator, said repeated moves have been disruptive: “This has been the third time that we were moved to Anderson ... 4 schools in 4 years,” she said, and added that many children in the access program have autism and that frequent moves disrupt routines that are often written into students’ individualized education programs (IEPs).

Mother Diana Gonzalez described an unrelated violent incident affecting her son at Thompson Middle School and urged the district to review policies on campus safety and parental notification; she said her son was diagnosed at the ER with a brain injury and other physical injuries after the incident and described ongoing trauma. Jody Zitko, a longtime resident, said she had witnessed visible trauma and panic in a student after the incident and urged stronger protections for students. Several speakers asked the board to reject relocating access classrooms to Coron and to prioritize minimizing transitions for students with developmental disabilities.

Administrators' response to community concerns

District leaders acknowledged that multiple moves have been difficult for families and said that lesson shaped the recommendation to identify Coron as a longer-term placement where the district could “stack bricks” of services and space in a single location. Pratt and Laurel (program staff) described a plan of individualized transition meetings, classroom visits, and professional learning this spring and summer. The presentation emphasized starting collaboration now so families and staff can plan for the fall rather than face a compressed timeline.

Implementation supports and follow-up

The district’s implementation plan includes:

- Spring meetings and school visits so students and families can become familiar with Coron before summer.
- Professional learning using the STAR Autism Support model (one-day workshop followed by embedded coaching in classrooms) during the summer and into the school year for access staff and additional orientation for general-education and specials staff at Coron.
- A needs-assessment process to identify individual student supports and a plan to coordinate case managers and families for individualized transition plans.
- Success indicators and monitoring (district staff described plans for surveys and follow-up to monitor transition outcomes).

Board discussion and context

Board members acknowledged the difficulty of the decision and the district’s obligations to provide both program quality and stable placements. Several board members praised the Coron space and the district’s efforts to plan an intentional transition; at least one board member stated they opposed the relocation vote. Several board members urged the district to make the placement as long-term and stable as possible and to apply lessons learned from earlier, rushed moves.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to approve relocation of access classrooms from Anderson to Coron for 2025–26: moved by Matthew Lentz; seconded by Mr. McNally; outcome approved 5–1 (McNally/second; roll call: McCabe Y, McNally Y, Bell Y, Kuchert Y, Lentz Y, Lackner N).
- Motion adopting resolution authorizing notice to selected non-licensed employees of honorable dismissals (agenda item prior to the access vote): moved and seconded; recorded outcome 6–0 (roll-call recorded as yeses); motion carried. (Motion text and roll-call appear in the meeting record.)

What the transcript does and does not show

The transcript records extensive public comment opposing the relocation and detailed administrative presentation and a roll-call vote approving the relocation 5–1. The transcript includes administrator commitments to staff professional learning and individualized transition planning; it does not include a detailed budget line item for the added positions nor independent verification of every public allegation made at the microphone (such as medical diagnoses mentioned by speakers), which are reported here as statements by those speakers.

Provenance: Public comment on the access program begins in the transcript with teachers and parents speaking (example excerpt: “I stand before you today to speak about something truly important and close to my heart, the access program at Anderson.”) and the board discussion, administration recommendation, and roll-call vote are recorded later in the meeting record (discussion and motion beginning at the item labeled “Discussion of the access program location” through the roll-call vote that recorded a 5–1 outcome).","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Education Meeting 4/14/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The St. Charles CUSD 303 board voted 5–1 on April 14 to move two elementary \"access\" classrooms from Anderson Elementary to Coron Elementary for the 2025–26 school year; administrators said Coron offers more instructional and therapy space and outlined staffing and transition supports, while parents said repeated moves harm students with autism.","taxTitle","St Charles CUSD 303, School Boards, Illinois","taxId",16932,"location","Illinois","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6272522,"St. Charles D303 outlines new cell-phone procedure after year-long advisory process",3462,3403000,6865000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3027657-98a1640c1ddcfd02c9f404a3e0c21352&start=3403&end=6865","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3027657-98a1640c1ddcfd02c9f404a3e0c21352/thumbnail_3403000.jpg","/articles/6272522/Illinois/St-Charles-D303-outlines-new-cell-phone-procedure-after-year-long-advisory-process","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6272522-0233174a5fa606d4e74d7cc28b374485/orig.mp4?Expires=1770279430&Signature=PEiYujtdoPN4aBQ-vchKUey9yjMWUHZ0TXZwZK1lxeDHVIH1vauwgH1I0F9F0ZKsGuTBZ7oq5-36u5EnHcaSWGafAJm3jr2JHMC3qPByRzoIN9xnmvJxbUWSpYJn448effcmA08vA~xBzfb1LVVH0FipxPuM9vXm-B7BxlL-G6muHWt4wexussUP1b2fkZtVIzX8sEGR8Va3PGXAMRPguxNlU9m2ZmLWH8KKrncNrXJJENbt~nwCChpt3HUSeFAJvGM2DfVT6mEnbhCj40b2u3Rd14ZO-3ZUuLfdrPWz-LEQt2W~qZ4~hETPvC6QvGFjZNh0DmVyiGnjwYhoLpIS9g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","St. Charles CUSD 303 administrators on April 14 presented a districtwide cell-phone procedure developed over several months with a 70-person advisory group and a separate implementation team, describing grade-level rules, an implementation timeline and training for staff and families.

District leaders said the procedure is a district-level procedure — not a change to an existing board policy — and that it is intended to improve student attention and reduce classroom interruptions. The presentation summarized research used by the advisory group, results from a ThoughtExchange survey that drew more than 2,400 participants, and next steps for staff training this summer and rollout in the 2025–26 school year.

District officials said the plan follows a collaborative process that elevated student voice, staff feedback and community input. Audra Christiansen, assistant superintendent of secondary education, described the work as “listening to the community” and said the advisory group used small-group discussions and research review to shape the recommendation. Michael Vaughn, director of communications and community relations, said the ThoughtExchange engagement yielded an average thought rating of 25 (well above the typical engagement threshold) and “very strong sentiment” in favor of limiting personal device use during instructional time.

Key elements of the proposed procedure

- Elementary: No access to cell phones during the school day; devices must be silenced and kept away.
- Middle school: Restricted use; phones and earbuds may be brought to school but must be silenced and stored in lockers for the school day; before- and after-school access allowed.
- High school: Limited-away model. During instruction students’ phones and earbuds are silenced and placed in phone caddies; phones are not to be accessed during PE or when leaving class to use the restroom; non-instructional time such as passing periods and extracurricular activities generally allow use.

Administrators said the implementation committee — composed principally of high school staff and students — selected a caddy-based approach for high schools after surveying teachers about enforcement and practicality. One teacher on the implementation team said the teacher survey “overwhelmingly” favored caddy-only, and students and staff on the panel described the choice as reducing opportunities to check phones secretly in backpacks.

Research and student voice

Panelists cited academic literature and the book The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt as informing the group’s work. Teachers and students described how the committee process changed some participants’ positions: “I went in there full with 1 opinion and I have to tell you the process changed my perspective as I listened to my neighbors and I listened to fellow parents and I listened to staff members,” community member Drew Glassford said.

A student who had originally favored keeping phones accessible also said a visiting detective’s remarks about emergency response persuaded them that phones could “make that situation a lot worse” during a school incident, citing tied-up phone lines and rapid spread of misinformation as risks.

Implementation, supports and success indicators

Administrators outlined a staged rollout: district communications to families, staff training during spring and summer professional learning days, and teacher coaching and scenario-based practice during institute days. The district plans to use school-improvement days this spring and additional training in August to prepare staff and to distribute devices and caddies where needed.

Draft success indicators the district will measure include a decrease in distractions, measurable improvement in student engagement, consistent compliance with the procedure, stakeholder confidence in the procedure’s clarity, and a reduction in cell-phone–related discipline referrals. Administrators said the district will survey students, staff and families before setting final data targets.

Board members and staff emphasized that the procedure is intended to support instruction rather than punish students. Several board members praised the inclusive process and said the district must focus on consistent implementation so the procedure does not erode over time.

Where this stands now

Administrators presented the procedure for board review and described the implementation plan; the transcript does not record a formal board vote to adopt the procedure as board policy on April 14. Multiple speakers and board members said the district will continue community communication and training through summer and into the next school year.

Provenance: The presentation and panel discussion begin with introductions and the advisory-group overview (transcript excerpt: “Good evening. I'm Michael Vaughn. I'm director of communications and community relations for d 3 0 3.”) and conclude when the board moved on to subsequent agenda items (presentation material and Q&A through the district’s stated success indicators).","At its April 14 meeting, St. Charles CUSD 303 officials presented a community-developed cell-phone procedure that limits device use by grade level and sets an implementation timeline; the board received the plan and administrators described staff training and community outreach but did not record a formal vote on policy adoption.","actionData","errors"]

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D303 board approves relocation of 'access' elementary classrooms from Anderson to Coron amid parental objections

St. Charles D303 outlines new cell-phone procedure after year-long advisory process