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Series Conclusion
6
LMMay 2019 Special Edition
Enrollment: 2,591 FY18: $1.3 million
Type: preK–12
FY19: $928,979
For the first time in years, East Moline Superintendent Dr.
Kristin Humphries said the district isn’t in cost-cutting mode.
Like many districts, Humphries said, pro-ration in state
funding has been devastating—some years losing over $1
million in general state aid.
However, the passage of EBM helped stabilize the budget,
and the district can now look to bring back and expand
opportunities for kids.
The top priority with the EBM funds, Humphries said, is
additional reading supports in the elementary schools.
East Moline is a diverse district, where almost 40 languages
are spoken.
With the new dollars in FY18, East Moline hired an
instructional reading coach and reading aides to do direct
intervention work with kids struggling to read.
East Moline SD #37
Northcentral
Super
Region
Enrollment: 3,957 FY18: $1.07 million
Type: preK–12
FY19: $1.16 million
Academic growth for all students and social-emotional
development are target goals Freeport SD #145 has identified
with its Evidence-Based Funding dollars, superintendent Dr.
Michael Schiffman said.
On the academic end, Schiffman said, EBF has made it
possible for the district to undergo a major realignment at the
middle school level. Instead of two middle schools housing
fifth through eighth graders, the district now has a 5-6
building and 7-8 building.
Doing so required hiring eight additional teachers—a cost the
district never would have been able to support without EBF.
“We really think we’re going to see good gains both
academically and socially and emotionally under this model,”
Schiffman said.
Other ways EBF is helping Freeport is technology, a new
curriculum and more professional development opportunities
for teachers. The high school is undergoing a one-to-one
initiative with Google Chromebooks.
Freeport SD #145
“We knew we needed additional supports for kids,”
Humphries said.
For FY19, East Moline is looking to provide more support in
math with the addition of an instructional coach at the middle
school. The EBM funds have also been used to hire two
additional social workers and a music teacher, he said.
“It’s a feeling that is unexplainable,” Humphries said about
how budgeting is different under EBM. “The quality of a
child’s education is less dependent on their zip code.”