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Parents, staff urge Elmhurst SD 205 to address rising class sizes and district finances during public comment
Summary
Three community members at the June 17 Board of Education meeting pressed the district to reverse planned elementary section reductions, citing larger class sizes, referendum expectations and perceived operating-budget shortfalls.
Three residents used the public-comment portion of the Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 Board of Education meeting on June 17 to urge the board to reverse reductions in elementary class sections and to clarify the district's financial standing.
Karen Cullen Meyer, a 25-year Elmhurst resident and a PSRP staff member at York High School, said she brought staffing concerns to the superintendent and the board president earlier in the year and expects follow-up. “The time for construction conversations are now over,” she said, urging the board “to do what is necessary to make York a priority.”
Lincoln parent Michelle McArdle said the district plans to remove a third-grade section next year at Lincoln, increasing some class sizes from 20 to “26 or 27,” and warned that larger classes reduce individualized attention during a key year when children “transition from learning to read to reading to learn.” McArdle also cited district financial indicators, saying the district’s 2018 referendum was for $168,000,000 and that the district’s 2024 financial report cited “over 3,300,000,000.0 in assessed valuation of property,” adding that she was concerned about a poor financial ranking and earlier credit downgrades.
Another Lincoln parent, Dara Agress, said a parent petition with 480 signatures asks the district to reinstate extra sections in elementary grades that would exceed 24 students. “Increasing class sizes does a disservice to the students and the teachers,” she said, adding that teachers’ workload could increase by an estimated 30 percent if sections are cut.
Board practice, the board chair said at the meeting, is to follow up with public commenters after the meeting as needed. No board action was taken during the public-comment period; the items raised were not on the formal agenda.
The speakers asked the board to explain the drivers of operating deficits and to prioritize staffing decisions so class sizes align with community expectations. The board did not provide immediate responses during public comment but continued with the meeting agenda.
