District 113A's Growth, Success and the Challenges Ahead
By Dr. Courtney Orzel, Superintendent, Lemont-Bromberek Combined School District 113A
As our community discusses the November 3 limiting rate referendum, two important questions have arisen: What has changed that District 113A needs additional classrooms? And what happens if the referendum does not pass?
The answer begins with enrollment growth, changing student needs, and the space required to educate children today.
Enrollment Growth Is Real
Enrollment has increased approximately 26% over the past decade and continues to climb, including 40 additional students since the first day of school this year alone.
District 113A serves families across Lemont, Woodridge, Downers Grove and Palos Park with residential growth and development plans at various stages of maturity. Some developments are well established, others are still being built, and additional residential projects are planned for the future. As these communities continue to evolve, so does the potential for additional school-aged children entering our District.
Three enrollment studies, which included consultation with the Village of Lemont and Lemont High School District 210, project continued growth driven by several factors: existing homes turning over to younger families, transfers from private and parochial schools, and new residential construction.
In the past three years alone, 166 students have enrolled in District 113A from private and parochial schools. Meanwhile, established neighborhoods continue to attract younger families, and hundreds of residential units are approved and have yet to be constructed.
Importantly, our enrollment growth is not dependent on one subdivision, one municipality or one source of new students. It reflects multiple trends occurring across the communities we serve, many of which are already impacting our schools.
With residential development occurring at different stages across our District's boundaries, enrollment growth is not simply a future projection. It is a reality we are experiencing today, and one our facilities must be prepared to accommodate in the years ahead.
Our Success Is Something to Celebrate - and Plan For
Schools are the heart of a community, and we believe District 113A's success is one reason families continue choosing our schools.
Our District is among the highest-performing school districts in the area while maintaining one of the lowest operational expenditures per pupil. Our schools have earned state and national recognition, and the District has maintained 12 consecutive years of Financial Recognition from the Illinois State Board of Education, the highest designation a school district can attain.
These accomplishments reflect the dedication of our teachers, support staff, administrators, students, families, Board of Education and community.
Families choose schools for many reasons, but we believe our educational programs, dedicated staff and student experiences are important factors in why families continue choosing District 113A.
This is where families want their children to be. That is an incredible compliment to our schools, staff and community. But it also presents a very real challenge.
Education Has Changed, and Our Buildings Are Already Full
Today's schools provide more specialized instruction, academic interventions, behavioral supports and services for students with diverse learning needs than they did nearly two decades ago. These services require staff, small-group instruction and dedicated spaces.
School capacity cannot simply be measured by how many desks fit into a classroom, although that has now become a reality and challenge for us as well.
Today, all four schools are using spaces never intended for instruction:
● Oakwood: Hallways and corridors are used for small-group instruction, and closets have been converted into staff workspaces.
● River Valley: Specialists share instructional spaces separated by dividers.
● Central: The Library Resource Center and a multipurpose room have been converted into classrooms, with corridors also used for instruction.
● Old Quarry: Classrooms, hallways, lunchrooms and bathrooms are increasingly crowded.
Every available classroom is being utilized. We cannot simply hire additional teachers to reduce class sizes when we have no classrooms in which to place them.
Currently, some elementary classrooms have 28–29 students, and middle school sections have as many as 34. Without additional space, projections indicate average class sizes could eventually reach 32 elementary students and 37 middle school students, with some sections exceeding those averages.
Understanding Our History Matters
Following 2008–2009, District 113A experienced a financial crisis beginning in 2010 that resulted in state oversight, school closures, staffing reductions and eliminated programs.
Families left for private and parochial schools, including some concerned about class sizes exceeding 35 students and reduced educational opportunities.
Since then, we have restored programs, reopened Central School, strengthened academic achievement and rebuilt financial stability. Enrollment has grown alongside that recovery.
The District of today is not the District of 2008–2009. We serve more students, provide additional services and need more instructional space.
What is the Proposed Plan?
The proposed plan would build additions onto each of the existing campuses. The classrooms were determined through a comprehensive review of existing building capacity, current enrollment, instructional programming, repurposed spaces and projected growth at each school.
The plan includes seven classrooms at Oakwood, seven at River Valley, fourteen at Central and twelve at Old Quarry. Importantly, the plan includes not only constructing these classrooms, but also providing the staffing necessary to accommodate projected enrollment growth and maintain reasonable class sizes.
These additions address both current space limitations and anticipated growth, ensuring the District has the classrooms and staff needed to continue meeting students' educational needs.
What Happens if the Referendum Does Not Pass?
Regardless of the referendum's outcome, the District will continue educating students. However, without additional space, continued enrollment growth would create several challenges:
● Larger class sizes: With every classroom already in use, additional students would need to be accommodated within existing spaces, potentially resulting in projected averages of 32 elementary and 37 middle school students.
● Staff retention concerns: Larger classes and increasingly crowded instructional spaces place additional demands on educators and could make retaining talented staff more challenging.
● Fewer dedicated instructional spaces: Additional libraries, specialized classrooms and shared areas may need to be repurposed, reducing space for interventions and student services.
● Increased crowding: Hallways, lunchrooms, bathrooms and common areas would need to accommodate more students, creating additional scheduling and supervision challenges.
● Greater challenges supporting students: Providing individualized instruction, interventions and specialized services could become increasingly difficult without appropriate space.
● Potential impact on property values: Successful schools help attract families, support housing demand and contribute to property values. While many factors influence home values, maintaining strong schools is important to our entire community. Families may be reluctant to move into a school district with class sizes in the mid 30's when another local successful school district has class size ranges in the low to mid 20's.
Families choose District 113A not just because of our academic results, but because of the experiences our teachers and staff provide every day. Our people build relationships, support individual students and create the learning environments families value.
Our buildings do not make District 113A exceptional. Our people do. But our people need the space and resources to continue providing the experiences that make families choose our schools.
The District would continue evaluating alternatives, including repurposing additional spaces and considering modular classrooms. However, modular units are costly, involve significant installation and operating costs, along with safety, security and supervision considerations.
If the referendum does not pass, enrollment growth will not disappear. The District would need to manage that growth within its existing facilities and financial resources.
Continuing the Conversation
We have much to celebrate. Our schools are performing well, our staff continues to provide outstanding educational experiences, and families continue choosing District 113A. That success is a source of pride for our entire community. It also brings a responsibility to plan for continued growth while supporting and retaining the exceptional staff who make our schools successful.
Regardless of the referendum's outcome, our commitment to students remains unchanged.
For additional information, including informational sessions, enrollment studies, financial resources, facility plans and referendum materials, visit sd113a.org/future.
Dr. Courtney Orzel is the Superintendent of Lemont-Bromberek Combined School District 113A.
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