CRYSTAL LAKE, IL — Crystal Lake Elementary District 47 is moving forward with two recommendations for changing its elementary school boundaries as the district works to address enrollment imbalances and prepare for continued growth.
The district's Boundary Committee spent months reviewing enrollment data, population trends, new housing developments, school capacity, transportation and community feedback before presenting its recommendations to the Board of Education.
Under the first recommendation, District 47 would use a grade-level-center model at several elementary schools. Students would attend one school for kindergarten through third grade and then move to a paired school for fourth and fifth grade.
For example, students assigned to West Elementary would attend West for grades K-3 before moving to South Elementary for grades 4-5, while South students would follow the reverse pattern, according to D47.
The second recommendation would change how the district's Dual Language program is operated. Rather than offering the program at multiple elementary schools, Coventry Elementary would become a Multilingual Language Academy serving all District 47 students enrolled in the Dual Language program.
Students would continue learning academic subjects in both English and Spanish, with the district concentrating its bilingual teachers, resources and programming at one location.
"The goal of this review process is to ensure that we are effectively serving all students within our district and that each school is appropriately resourced to meet the needs of our students," District 47 spokeswoman Kari Firak said in July.
District officials say the boundary review is needed because enrollment is not evenly distributed among the district's elementary schools.
"Our strategic plan calls for ensuring equitable facilities across the district, prioritizing funds for student growth, and remaining responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars. Currently, the district has an enrollment imbalance across school buildings. Both recommendations address this by helping ensure every student has a consistent, high-quality school experience, regardless of the building they attend," Firak said. "They also allow the district to operate more efficiently, with savings redirected toward school improvements that directly benefit students without increasing taxes."
The district also has posted interactive maps, presentations and frequently asked questions for families and community members to review. Officials have said the proposed changes are designed with long-term enrollment and facility needs in mind.
The next major opportunity for public input will come in September, when District 47 plans to conduct a community-wide survey on the recommendations. Superintendent Kathy Hinz is scheduled to continue presenting information to the Board of Education in September and October, followed by a final presentation in October.
The Board of Education is scheduled to vote on the final elementary boundary plan in November. Any approved changes would take effect for the 2027-28 school year.
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