Elkhart Mayor Rod Robertson credits extracurriculars with boosting student achievement

Elkhart Mayor Rod Robertson said his experience as a student and later as a district extracurricular director showed a connection between extracurricular participation and academic success in Elkhart Community Schools.

Robertson, identifying himself as the mayor of Elkhart, recounted attending Roosevelt Elementary, "Kim Nguyen, Junior High at the time," and Elkhart Central High School before going on to Northwestern University. He said he later served “as the co and extracurricular director at Elkhart Community Schools, and I did that for a couple of years.”

"And while I was here I found, the avenues that indicated through metrics, the kids that participated in music and sports, were as a cohort the highest academic achievers, in our system," Robertson said. He described extracurriculars as helping students build resilience and a sense of self-respect that supports classroom performance.

Robertson said Elkhart Community Schools provides a "rich and deep platform of course opportunities and wonderful relationships" that can help students not only finish high school but establish pathways toward careers. He emphasized the role of qualified teachers and coaches in setting expectations of excellence.

The remarks were a personal reflection rather than a staff report or formal action; no motions or directives were recorded in the provided transcript excerpt.