Post by title1parent on Aug 9, 2009 6:28:24 GMT -5
www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/news/1707616,2_1_AU09_FIRSTDAY_S1-090809.article
Go to school, win a prize?
Some school districts hope to draw large numbers with perks for pupils
August 9, 2009
By ERIKA WURST ewurst@scn1.com
Sometimes known as summer's unofficial end, the first day of school is dreaded by students from Oswego to St. Charles.
When that first bell rings, everything changes. School books replace backyard barbecues, and classrooms substitute for lazy days by the pool.
LET'S GET STARTED
Schools announce first day of class:
Aurora Central Catholic: Aug. 24
Aurora Christian: Aug. 25
Batavia: Aug. 26
East Aurora: Aug. 24
Geneva: Aug. 26
Hinckley-Big Rock: Aug. 19
IMSA: Aug. 17
Indian Prairie: Aug. 20
Marmion Academy: Aug. 20
Oswego: Aug. 26
Plano: Aug. 31
Rosary: Aug. 20
St. Charles: Aug. 26
Sandwich: Aug. 21
Somonauk: Aug. 24
West Aurora: Aug. 19
Yorkville: Sept. 1
It's no wonder school districts have such a hard time getting thousands of kids to show up on the first day.
Several local districts, however, are raising the ante by offering kids incentives to be in their seats when it's time to count heads. From Chicago to the Fox Valley, punctual students are getting rewarded simply for their presence.
And behind each prize is an ulterior district motive: not only is attendance part of a good education, but every body means thousands of dollars in additional funding for the schools. For poorer areas that rely heavily on state aid, these funds are crucial.
"The more students who begin attending on the first day, the more state aid the district would receive," West Aurora spokesman Mike Chapin said.
The amount of general state aid a district receives is calculated using the best three months of average daily attendance. Chapin said August -- combined with September as one month -- are often among best attendance periods, and the critical first day can play a major factor in increasing this average.
To lure kids out of bed and into class, West Aurora conjured up several sweet solutions. Ice cream donated by Arbor Management Inc. will be given to each student who attends the first day of school. Seventeen MP3 players have also been donated. Students who attend the first day of class will be entered in a raffle to win one.
To be sure that every student knows when that first day is, West Aurora also began an "early start" effort, where class and registration information is sent out via voicemail, e-mail, postcards, yard signs, then promoted on Web pages and district publications. Chapin said the publicity -- combined with an earlier and easier registration process -- should help first day numbers rise.
Handing out supplies
Communities in Schools is also gearing kids up for class with a Back to School Fair for students attending Aurora schools, which was held Saturday. Each child at the fair could receive school supplies, eye exams, physicals and vaccinations. These back-to-school basics can sometimes prevent students from starting school on time.
Chicago Public Schools saw a similar tactic work. In 2001, with a first-day attendance of only 85 percent, volunteers began knocking on doors and delivering school supplies to amp up attendance.
Their efforts paid off. By 2007, the first day attendance number had jumped to 93 percent, which meant millions of dollars for the district.
In school districts like St. Charles, attendance is crucial, but not as critical. Because of higher property taxes, the district receives less state aid than East or West Aurora districts.
"We usually have a good (first day) turnout," district spokesman Jim Blaney said. "Parents here make sure their kids get to school."
While the buildings are open for students to get familiar with prior to classes beginning, Blaney said he is unaware of any incentives being offered.
"It's just an expectation within the community (that your child shows up for school)," he said.
Kristine Liptrot, communications director for the Oswego School District, said students are encouraged to attend class every day for strictly academic reasons, and no incentives are offered to get them there. Typically, August is not one of the three months used to calculate Oswego's average daily attendance, so extra emphasis is not placed on the first day of classes, she said.
Year-round incentives
Students on Aurora's East Side are offered incentives year-round.
"Every student, every day, that's become our theme," said East spokesman Clayton Muhammad. Different schools throw pizza parties, hold raffles and create classroom competitions based on attendance.
"Attendance translates into educational and financial success," Muhammad said.
August and September are usually months figured into East Aurora's averages. To improve day-one attendance, East Aurora is joining 550 cities across the world for the Black Star Project's Million Father March, which encourages fathers to take their children to school. The effort began in 1996 as a way to get parents in Black and Latino communities involved in their children's lives and to school on the first day of class.
At the high school level, "Terrific Tomcat Cards" are given out for good attendance and good behavior and are used as raffle tickets for weekly drawings to win prizes ranging from movie gift certificates to prime parking spots.
So whether students are tossing paper airplanes or taking a pop quiz on day one, administrators want to make sure students are at least there.
With funding problems on the rise, Chapin said it's more important than ever to keep kids in class. Enrollment numbers don't dictate state funding, he said, actual bodies do. And when districts don't receive the money needed for the number of students they cater to, money issues become even worse.
Go to school, win a prize?
Some school districts hope to draw large numbers with perks for pupils
August 9, 2009
By ERIKA WURST ewurst@scn1.com
Sometimes known as summer's unofficial end, the first day of school is dreaded by students from Oswego to St. Charles.
When that first bell rings, everything changes. School books replace backyard barbecues, and classrooms substitute for lazy days by the pool.
LET'S GET STARTED
Schools announce first day of class:
Aurora Central Catholic: Aug. 24
Aurora Christian: Aug. 25
Batavia: Aug. 26
East Aurora: Aug. 24
Geneva: Aug. 26
Hinckley-Big Rock: Aug. 19
IMSA: Aug. 17
Indian Prairie: Aug. 20
Marmion Academy: Aug. 20
Oswego: Aug. 26
Plano: Aug. 31
Rosary: Aug. 20
St. Charles: Aug. 26
Sandwich: Aug. 21
Somonauk: Aug. 24
West Aurora: Aug. 19
Yorkville: Sept. 1
It's no wonder school districts have such a hard time getting thousands of kids to show up on the first day.
Several local districts, however, are raising the ante by offering kids incentives to be in their seats when it's time to count heads. From Chicago to the Fox Valley, punctual students are getting rewarded simply for their presence.
And behind each prize is an ulterior district motive: not only is attendance part of a good education, but every body means thousands of dollars in additional funding for the schools. For poorer areas that rely heavily on state aid, these funds are crucial.
"The more students who begin attending on the first day, the more state aid the district would receive," West Aurora spokesman Mike Chapin said.
The amount of general state aid a district receives is calculated using the best three months of average daily attendance. Chapin said August -- combined with September as one month -- are often among best attendance periods, and the critical first day can play a major factor in increasing this average.
To lure kids out of bed and into class, West Aurora conjured up several sweet solutions. Ice cream donated by Arbor Management Inc. will be given to each student who attends the first day of school. Seventeen MP3 players have also been donated. Students who attend the first day of class will be entered in a raffle to win one.
To be sure that every student knows when that first day is, West Aurora also began an "early start" effort, where class and registration information is sent out via voicemail, e-mail, postcards, yard signs, then promoted on Web pages and district publications. Chapin said the publicity -- combined with an earlier and easier registration process -- should help first day numbers rise.
Handing out supplies
Communities in Schools is also gearing kids up for class with a Back to School Fair for students attending Aurora schools, which was held Saturday. Each child at the fair could receive school supplies, eye exams, physicals and vaccinations. These back-to-school basics can sometimes prevent students from starting school on time.
Chicago Public Schools saw a similar tactic work. In 2001, with a first-day attendance of only 85 percent, volunteers began knocking on doors and delivering school supplies to amp up attendance.
Their efforts paid off. By 2007, the first day attendance number had jumped to 93 percent, which meant millions of dollars for the district.
In school districts like St. Charles, attendance is crucial, but not as critical. Because of higher property taxes, the district receives less state aid than East or West Aurora districts.
"We usually have a good (first day) turnout," district spokesman Jim Blaney said. "Parents here make sure their kids get to school."
While the buildings are open for students to get familiar with prior to classes beginning, Blaney said he is unaware of any incentives being offered.
"It's just an expectation within the community (that your child shows up for school)," he said.
Kristine Liptrot, communications director for the Oswego School District, said students are encouraged to attend class every day for strictly academic reasons, and no incentives are offered to get them there. Typically, August is not one of the three months used to calculate Oswego's average daily attendance, so extra emphasis is not placed on the first day of classes, she said.
Year-round incentives
Students on Aurora's East Side are offered incentives year-round.
"Every student, every day, that's become our theme," said East spokesman Clayton Muhammad. Different schools throw pizza parties, hold raffles and create classroom competitions based on attendance.
"Attendance translates into educational and financial success," Muhammad said.
August and September are usually months figured into East Aurora's averages. To improve day-one attendance, East Aurora is joining 550 cities across the world for the Black Star Project's Million Father March, which encourages fathers to take their children to school. The effort began in 1996 as a way to get parents in Black and Latino communities involved in their children's lives and to school on the first day of class.
At the high school level, "Terrific Tomcat Cards" are given out for good attendance and good behavior and are used as raffle tickets for weekly drawings to win prizes ranging from movie gift certificates to prime parking spots.
So whether students are tossing paper airplanes or taking a pop quiz on day one, administrators want to make sure students are at least there.
With funding problems on the rise, Chapin said it's more important than ever to keep kids in class. Enrollment numbers don't dictate state funding, he said, actual bodies do. And when districts don't receive the money needed for the number of students they cater to, money issues become even worse.