Board of Education Work Session Summary: March 10

The Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7 Board of Education met on Monday, March 10, 2025, in the Liberty Middle School Auditorium for its monthly work session.    

These are not the official meeting minutes and do not include every detail from the meeting but rather a summary to assist the District #7 community. The official minutes can be found on the District #7 Board of Education Board Docs once approved by the Board. 

Strategic Plan Goal #3 
Director of Special Education and School Supports Andrea Grotefendt provided an update on Goal 3 of the 2022-27 Strategic Plan – Safe and Supportive School Climate. Goal 3 has three focus areas: equitable, safe, and inclusive.  

Equitable 
District #7 continues to expand preschool opportunities, with Hamel Elementary now able to serve 34 students. Currently, the District supports 34 early childhood students, 144 in the Preschool for All program, and 60 in the Preschool Academy. In addition to Hamel, Glen Carbon and Goshen elementaries house preschool programs.  

The Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework has been implemented across all schools, with Second Step being introduced at the Preschool level and EHS. Additionally, behavior procedures have been standardized district-wide, with MTSS building teams aligning protocols.  

Academic and mental health support is expanding, including the expansion of PACE Scholars as a math intervention program and iReady for personalized instruction. On the mental health front, District #7 has partnered with Cartwheel to enhance student support services. 

Safe 
A universal social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum has been adopted and implemented, with student data being used to track progress and inform interventions. Data chats are now consistent across all schools, to help ensure a district-wide approach to intervention planning. 

Key district-wide SEL and behavior data: 

• 88% of students are on track for attendance 
• 96% are on track for behavior 
• 77% are on track for SEL 

Inclusive 
Efforts are ongoing to increase opportunities for staff to be active stakeholders in district-wide decisions. This includes participation in community forums and surveys.  

Transportation/School Start Times/7-Period Day Update 
Transportation 
Transportation funding will continue to decline, requiring adjustments to optimize resources. The transportation study being done indicates that efficiencies can be achieved through more strategic placement of bus stops, improved identification of actual riders, and moving to a two-tier system.  

In the most recent Transportation and School Start Time survey, 44 percent of respondents (703 people) agreed with middle and high school students sharing buses. In the January 2025 survey, 57 percent of respondents (1,078) agreed or strongly agreed with that.  

School Start Times 
Research, including recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics, supports later start times for middle and high school students to align with adolescent sleep patterns and improve academic and health outcomes. 

The recent survey gathered feedback on the proposed start time adjustments: 

Elementary Start Times  

• 50 percent of respondents agreed with the recommendation. 
• 59 percent were satisfied with the current elementary start times. 

Middle & High School Start Times  

• 56 percent of respondents agreed with the proposed times. 
• 52 percent were satisfied with current high school start times. 

Overall Recommendation (Elementary earlier, Secondary later) 

• 55 percent of respondents agreed. 

Concerns noted in survey:  

• Need for after-school care for elementary students. 
• Disruptions to family routines with adjusted schedules. 
• Impact on after-school activities and extracurricular participation. 

Positive feedback noted in survey:  

• Support for research-based recommendations on student health and academic performance. 
• Families no longer needing before-school care for older students. 
• Recognition of the academic benefits of later start times for secondary students. 

7-Period Day 
A 7-period flex schedule would ensure all students thrive, not just “make it through”. This change would help close equity gaps, meet evolving student needs, and align with state mandates, including Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), World Language, and Career Pathways.  

Key features of the 7-period schedule include:  

• 50-minute class periods 
• Five-minute passing period 
• Three overlapping lunch times 
• Tiger Time – 20-minute period dedicated to SEL and other structured activities (Wednesdays only) 

Tiger Time is primarily designed to support SEL through structured activities using the Second Step program. In addition to SEL lessons, this time may also be utilized for various school-wide activities such as the Panorama survey, class meetings, and presentations. However, some events, like senior panoramic pictures, may require additional time beyond the allotted 20-minute period. 

Impact on teaching and learning:  

• Early bird classes may be reduced or eliminated 
• No changes to contractual work hours (7.75 hours/day) 
• Many teachers would have no additional prep, but would teach an additional course (not a new course, but an additional section)  

Graduation requirements would be 22 credits (currently 20 credits) plus 24 hours of community service. 7th period flexible options would include a 7th curricular course, intervention support, structured study hall or career pathway exploration.  

The Board will consider action on this information during the March 24 meeting. The complete presentation can be found on Board Docs.  

Next Meeting:  
Monday, March 24: Board of Education Monthly Meeting (7 p.m. at Liberty Middle School)