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Urbana SD 116 coordinator lays out midyear Minority Enrichment Program report, cites racial gaps in AP/advanced enrollment
Summary
Andrea Jackson, the district's minority engagement/enrichment coordinator, told the board the Minority Enrichment Program supports a 40-student caseload with tutoring, mentoring and college-readiness activities and highlighted 18.7% districtwide advanced-course enrollment with lower rates for Black and Hispanic students.
Andrea Jackson, the district's minority engagement and enrichment coordinator, presented a midyear report to the Urbana School District 116 board during a study session, outlining the program's work to increase access to weighted and advanced courses for underrepresented students.
Jackson said the Minority Enrichment Program (MEP) serves a caseload of about 40 students who receive weekly academic monitoring, tutoring and mentoring. She cited the Illinois School Report Card data showing 18.7% of students were enrolled in advanced courses in the past school year and said enrollment is uneven by race: she described substantially higher shares of white and Asian students in advanced courses compared with roughly 10–11% of Black and Hispanic peers.
"This program supports underrepresented students enrolled in weighted and advanced courses," Jackson said, adding that the effort aims not only to provide access but also ongoing support so students can "actually thrive." She described partnerships with campus groups (including an Alpha Phi Alpha presentation and an HBCU college fair) and cited mentoring and leadership-development activities across the sixth-grade center, Urbana Middle School and Urbana High School.
Board members asked how many students might attend an MEP-sponsored college trip to Washington, D.C.; Jackson said the group is aiming for about 20 students and four adults and estimated the trip costs about $1,000 per student, including meals. Jackson said the district has an equity budget that can help but may not sustain stipends long-term and that the program is seeking sponsorships and fundraising to reduce the burden on families.
Student ambassadors and board members praised the renewed coordinator role and urged patience for measurable results: "It's gonna take years for us to see results on this," the board chair said, noting the importance of targeting middle-school students to shift future AP enrollment. Jackson asked for more tutors, sustained role support and summer programming to build a pipeline into advanced coursework.
The board did not take formal action on the MEP during the session; members said they expect further updates and potential budget discussions as the program develops.
