Posted5/5/2021 5:02 AM Extra teaching specialists, tutoring services, social workers and boot camps are roped into the proposed budget for next academic year to help Naperville Unit District 203 address students' needs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The district anticipates spending nearly $5 million on various Return to Learn initiatives, including the hiring of 14 additional math specialists, 12 English learner or learning behavior specialists, and two social workers, Chief Financial Officer Mike Frances said Monday during an overview of the tentative 2021-22 budget. School board members have supported dedicating federal COVID-19 relief dollars toward those academic and social-emotional recovery efforts.
The additional positions will ensure each building has at least one math specialist who could assist classroom teachers and work with all students in various capacities, said Jayne Willard, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. School leaders have been requesting extra math support "for a long time," she said, and student assessments have recently shown a need for it.