Kewanee District News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Kewanee District 229 schools mull return to in-person return Kewanee Dist. 229 Schools Three things will help determine whether Kewanee Dist. 229 students will return for full face-to-face instruction this academic year: The Illinois Department of Public Health, the state’s vaccination program and district parents. The district is adding a link to its website this week asking parents what method of instruction they prefer going forward. Dist. 229 students have been attending in-person classes twice a week and remote instruction twice a week under the so-called hybrid model, adopted at the s...

Dist. 229 school board pauses in-person learning over holiday break Star Courier The Kewanee District 229 board of education approved for early January a schedule of remote learning in response to COVID-19. Students will not return immediately after winter break, the board decided during at last week's December meeting. Instead, they will be on a remote-learning schedule Jan. 4 to Jan. 8. The Illinois State Board of Education allows schools to enact what it calls an “adaptive pause” — closing a school to in-person instruction — as a COVID-19 safety protocol. In this case, delaying a r...

Star Courier While Kewanee District 229 has had relatively stable enrollment figures over the last 20 years — the same can’t be said for Henry County schools as a whole. All the other schools are experiencing declining enrollments. Both situations create different challenges. Kewanee District 229 had 1,976 students in 2020, up from 1,832 in 2010 and 1,779 in 2000. “Why do we have the enrollment we do? Because Kewanee has been a progressive town, trying to expand its local businesses,” said Chris Sullens, District 229 superintendent. Kewanee also has several large employers, Great Dane...

School funding model paused Star Courier Evidence-based funding — the mechanism used to supplement the state’s K-12 schools based on need — has been a boost to school districts in Henry County, and in particular, for Kewanee. Christopher Sullens, superintendent for Kewanee District 229 schools, said the most immediate benefit has been the addition of elementary-grade teachers, adding sections to each of those early classes within the district. “That’s six teachers right there you didn’t have before,” said Sullens. “And we’ve been able to add instructional coaches, help them ...

Local tax base declines Star Courier A steady enrollment and a low, but consistent, property tax base have long been considerations as Kewanee District 229 schools address funding and budgeting. It’s not the best equation, but it’s been predictable. This year, however, the equalized assessed value in the district has declined, stemming from the sale of west central properties for less than their assessed value. “Take 1 or 2 percent away from everybody, and it starts to add up,” said Christopher Sullens, superintendent for District 229 schools. “Across the board, that really becomes ...