Archive for category: District Announcements

One of District #7’s favorite things to do is honor its students! On Thursday morning, 16 students from all our schools were honored for not only being outstanding students in the classroom, but for being outstanding school citizens.

Each spring, District #7 students are honored alongside other students from the Southwest Region at the Illinois Principal’s Association (IPA) Student Recognition Breakfast. However, this year, due to a scheduling conflict, District #7 was unable to attend that event and instead, decided to honor its students at its own breakfast event.

Each of the students recognized stood out among their peers due to their tremendous character, work ethic and leadership. They are always striving to do the right thing and inspire others around them to be the best they can be.

Students honored included:

Tyler Novotney, Glen Carbon Elementary

Alexandra Snook, Goshen Elementary

Quinn Themas, Hamel Elementary

Arabella Donner, Leclaire Elementary

Wesley Sterett, Midway Elementary

Dontay Wells, Nelson Elementary

 Giana Rigoni, Albert Cassens Elementary

Theo Armstrong, Columbus Elementary

Adam Hertz, Woodland Elementary

Caleb Kupinski, Worden Elementary

Logan Garman, Liberty Middle School

Claire Johnson, Liberty Middle School

Grace Capron, Lincoln Middle School

Blake Chrenka, Lincoln Middle School

Axton Anom, Edwardsville High School

Caroline Marcus, Edwardsville High School

Substitute teachers are an important part of maintaining continuity in education and ensuring that students receive instruction and proper care even when our regular staff may be absent. To show their value, District #7 has increased the pay rate for substitute teachers to $125/day.

Among the many benefits this position offers include:  

Hello District #7 and Happy Friday! As of 3:35 p.m. today our students and teachers will be on a well-deserved break. Spring break begins today and school will be back in session on Tuesday, April 11.   

I wanted to take a few moments to update you on our recent Board meeting. Mr. Michael Hubbard, the Director of Security in District #7, presented the current and ongoing work of maintaining safe schools throughout District #7. Safety and Security are never far from our mind, but that holds especially true as we witness the recent events in Nashville, TN. We continue to be in thought and prayer for those families impacted by this horrible event.  

As a school district, we must remain vigilant in identifying and responding to threats which occur. Over the past several months, Mr. Hubbard has increased the training and consistency of our School Safety Officers and their presence in schools, updated our district-wide crisis manual, and connected our district-wide safety and security team. We also continue to investigate any threats of violence which are brought to our attention. District #7 is also installing vape detectors over Spring Break in an effort to alleviate the vaping epidemic which continues to impact our students.  

I also provided the Board of Education and those present with an update on our no-tax-rate-increase bond proposal that is on the ballot next Tuesday. Earlier this year, safety and security was identified as the number one priority for our schools and the bond proposal includes installing double-entry door systems in each District #7 school. We are also excited about the potential upgrades to our facilities with a renovation and addition to Lincoln Middle School, repairs and renovations at Hamel Elementary, Midway Elementary, Columbus Elementary and Edwardsville High School, along with new accessible and safe playgrounds at all District #7 Elementary Schools.  With Election Day occurring over spring break, we have also been intentionally reminding those in the District #7 community who are travelling to vote early. Please visit ecusd7.org/bond for more information on the bond proposal. 

We continue to plan for a busy summer in District #7. Summer school for this year will be held at Goshen Elementary School and Liberty Middle School, as Edwardsville High School will be closed for the vast majority of the summer for construction and fire alarm work.  

Finally, Parents/guardians of students new to District #7 for the 2023-24 school year can now pre-register on our website at ecusd7.org. This includes incoming kindergarteners, students moving into the district or students transferring from a private school. Registration for students currently enrolled in District #7 is anticipated to open on or around May 1, 2023. We will be sure to communicate as we get closer to May.  

Spring in District #7 is always a busy one and following spring break, I hope you take advantage of the opportunity to take in one of our spring sports and activities such as our spring concerts, as all of our students continue to make District #7 proud.   

Have a wonderful Spring Break and we look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, April 11!  

Patrick Shelton, Ed.D.
Superintendent

March 13, 2023  

Dear District #7 families,  

In a few short weeks, residents in our community will vote on April 4 on our district’s zero-tax-rate-change bond issue. We will continue to share information, but I wanted you to know just a little more about what this proposal will do for our schools, our students, and our community.  

Many of our schools are aging and in need of critical improvements. Our bond proposal will also fund important safety and security improvements at every District #7 school. Here is a list of some of the projects the bond proposal will provide: 

• Upgrade safety and security, including secure double entry doors, at all District #7 schools. 
• Repair and renovate building infrastructure items including roofs, windows, doors, floors, HVAC and plumbing and electrical systems at Lincoln Middle, Hamel and Midway elementaries and other schools where needed. 
• Partially renovate and rebuild our century old historic high school building that now serves as Lincoln Middle School. 
• Remediation of asbestos and construction of new classrooms and gymnasium at Hamel Elementary School. 
• Complete repairs related to moisture infiltration and possible settlement at Midway Elementary.  
• Complete an addition of 7,000 square feet to the Commons at Edwardsville High School. 

Our District has a unique opportunity to complete the needed building updates without increasing the portion of the tax rate residents pay towards retiring school debt if the bond proposal is approved.  

Thank you for sharing information about the proposal with your neighbors and friends. It is important for everyone to be informed. For more information on the bond proposal, including an FAQ and a list of projects by school, please visit www.ecusd7.org/bond.  

Sincerely,  

Patrick Shelton, Ed.D.
Superintendent

District 7 will hold an informational night and open house at Lincoln Middle School on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. for community members to learn more about how the zero-tax-rate-change bond, if passed, would address needed renovations and a partial rebuild of the aging school building.  

District 7 will have a $100 million zero-tax-rate change bond referendum on the April 4, 2023, ballot. If passed, the district would be able to issue $100 million in bonds to address essential safety and security upgrades, identified facility needs and other identified critical maintenance. While some schools require more repair and renovation than others, every student attending school in our district will improve from improved school buildings.   

The informational night will begin with a presentation in the auditorium that will include architectural plans for Lincoln. District leaders, staff, and students will then be on hand to give tours of Lincoln.  

“All of our schools, including Lincoln, are our community’s schools and we want everyone to be able to ask as many questions and learn as much information as they can. We want people who have not been in the building for a while to see it.” said Superintendent Dr. Patrick Shelton. “Lincoln has served our community for many years. It is now time for major renovations and repairs so the building can serve our community for many more years to come.” 

The bond development process has been community-driven from the beginning with Engage District 7 being formed and several community engagement sessions being held to help to prioritize district needs. The committee consisted of school staff, parents and community and business partners. The Board of Education accepted the committee’s recommendations for a bond proposal and unanimously voted to put the bond measure on the April 4 ballot.