Warren Township board orders study of "looping" student‑services model, backs more multilingual and family‑liaison staff

Warren Township High School District 121 trustees at a regular meeting directed Superintendent Danny (last name not specified) to study a "looping" student‑services model that would assign counselors, social workers and deans to a graduating class and move that team with the students between the district's two campuses to improve continuity of care.

The board framed the investigation as a response to persistent academic disparities and social‑emotional concerns, especially among freshmen and multilingual and homeless students. "It's time to do something different," Board member Tony (last name not specified) said during discussion. The board asked the superintendent to report back after campus visits and recommended models are reviewed.

The move grows from months of staff and committee work on student supports, Superintendent Danny told trustees when he opened the discussion. He said staff would visit districts that use two‑campus looping models, including Lyons Township and Lake Park, and return with observations and recommendations. "What we've asked in Dr. Danny's goals is to investigate that, which may ultimately lead to a variation of this," a board member said during remarks that directed the work to the superintendent.

Why it matters: Trustees said students lose continuity when they change campuses between sophomore and junior years, which can weaken relationships with adults who oversee social‑emotional and academic supports. Board members cited recurring data showing persistent failure rates and freshmen‑on‑track shortfalls as reasons to consider structural change rather than only adding positions.

Board discussion and proposed staffing changes

Trustees also discussed several staff additions to support multilingual families and outreach. Staff proposed increasing the district's single bilingual secretary, Priscilla (last name not specified),…