Board told Paper tutoring use declining; administration to recommend next steps

At the O'Fallon Township High School District 203 board meeting, Director of Curriculum Michael Graham reported that use of the district's Paper online tutoring subscription has fallen and that teacher feedback shows inconsistent quality from the service. Graham said last school year the district recorded about 1,200 live help sessions and 2,700 writing reviews; usage this year, as of March 1, is trending well below that pace.

The decline and repeated teacher reports that students were “bounced around” from tutor to tutor informed the administration's approach this year, Graham said. He told the board the district had reduced active promotion of Paper this year while monitoring performance and noted English teachers remain the primary classroom users for writing reviews. Graham said the department chairs received the teacher feedback and that the administration intends to present a formal recommendation to the board on whether to continue or discontinue the service for 2025–26.

In discussion, board members and administrators framed the decision in utilitarian terms: Graham and other administrators said the subscription’s cost did not appear justified by the current level of benefit. One board member said that at the per-session dollar figure cited by staff, district funds could be repurposed for higher-yield interventions.

The report did not include a final motion or vote. Officials said any change would be decided after the administration's recommendation and a board discussion at a subsequent meeting.

The superintendent and the education committee said they would continue monitoring teacher and student use data and would attach any final recommendation to the 2025–26 budgeting process.