Crystal Lawns Kindergartners May Attend Grand Prairie to Relieve Overcrowding

Submitted by Plainfield School District 202

PLAINFIELD, IL — Students who are slated to attend kindergarten at Crystal Lawns Elementary School next year may attend Grand Prairie Elementary instead, to relieve overcrowding at Crystal Lawns.

District 202 administration proposed moving the new Crystal Lawns kindergartners to Grand Prairie next school year based on enrollment projections suggesting Crystal Lawns won’t have enough room for all K-5 students next year.

The Board of Education took public comment on the proposal at its April 11 regular meeting.

The Board is expected to vote on the proposal at its April 25 regular meeting. The meeting will be held at the District 202 Administrative Center.

A letter sent home to Crystal Lawns families explains that Crystal Lawns’ enrollment continues to grow while District 202’s total population has slowly dropped since the recession hit in 2009.

Complicating matters, Crystal Lawns also needs to cap classroom sizes because its rooms are smaller than those of the district’s 16 other elementary schools. Crystal Lawns was built in 1958.

In fact, two mobile classrooms were installed this year to help alleviate overcrowding.

This proposal will:

• Impact fewer students than several other options that were explored
• Keep 5th graders at Crystal Lawns
• Balance class sizes
• Relieve overcrowding
• Minimize costs
• Keep students as close to their home school as possible

District 202 will provide transportation for all Crystal Lawns kindergarten students if the Board approves this plan.