Evanston school may quit `No Child'

Extra funds not worth it, some say

By Jodi S. Cohen and Lisa Black
Tribune staff reporters

February 23, 2004

As many educators struggle to meet federal No Child Left Behind requirements, Evanston Township High School officials are considering pulling out of the program, saying the financial benefits might not be worth the trouble.

The district, which could become the first in Illinois to opt out of the education reform law, would forfeit at least $131,000 in federal funds.

School officials say they will decide in coming weeks whether accepting the Title I money--directed to schools with low-income students to pay for more teachers, professional development and other programs --is worth the staff time and other costs to comply with the law's record keeping and arguably stiff penalties.

If they reject the federal aid, school officials would avoid having to offer private tutoring or to allow students to transfer to higher-achieving districts if the school does not reach state testing goals. They still would have to test all students in 11th grade, be held accountable for their progress and face the state's less stringent penalties if students do not meet standards.

"It is important to look at this issue soon so we don't get immersed in trying to comply with it if it is something we think is not conducive to the way we educate children," said School District 202 board member Ross Friedman, who raised the issue at a board meeting earlier this month.

The debate at Evanston comes as a growing number of state legislators and school administrators nationwide also look for ways to withdraw from the 2-year-old law, which many contend is underfunded and intrusive.

Several school districts in Vermont and Connecticut already have opted out. Utah, Virginia, Arizona and other states either have introduced legislation that would reject parts of the law or have requested waivers from the U.S. Department of Education. Illinois is not among the group.

Funds vital to some districts

Ron Tomalis, senior adviser with the Department of Education, said it would be foolish for Evanston or any other school district to reject money when many are operating in the red.

Schools are turning down Title I funding for the first time because of unprecedented accountability for test scores, dropout rates and teacher credentials, he said.

"You are talking about turning down resources to help children read or do math problems because of a discomfort," Tomalis said.

The program is well-funded, he said, with Illinois receiving more than $800 million.

Experts say the discussion at Evanston, one of the state's most academically successful and racially diverse schools, is a reflection of the frustration felt by teachers, parents and students affected by the increased focus on high-stakes testing--and the stigma test results can put on even the best schools.

The law's requirements also mean that for the first time, schools have to track down and test special education students who study off-campus, send letters to parents whose children are taught by an uncertified teacher and train for new test procedures.

"The frustration is spreading across the nation as districts have a better awareness of the operational impact of the law," said Reggie Felton, director of federal relations for the National School Boards Association, based in Alexandria, Va. "It may be costing them more money than they get."

The Utah House of Representatives voted this month not to contribute money to comply with parts of the law where they believe the federal government has not supplied enough funds.

In Virginia, the House of Delegates approved a resolution last month asking Congress to exempt it from "the most sweeping intrusions into state and local control of education in the history of the United States."

Besides arguing that the law's mandates are underfunded, some officials say the requirements--most notably having every student learning at grade level by 2014--are unrealistic.

But many schools that struggle the most with No Child Left Behind penalties have more low-income students than Evanston and could not afford to reject the money. For example, Chicago Public Schools got about $240 million in Title I funds for low-income students this year; East Aurora District 131 got nearly $5 million.

Xavier Botana, director of Chicago's No Child Left Behind program, said it would be good to have the financial flexibility to withdraw, but that "is not realistic" for a district with so many low-income students.

"It certainly would be a statement [if Evanston opted out] because it is a school with a great reputation," Botana said.

Districts that leave the program also risk losing other funds associated with Title I, including grants for safe and drug-free schools and educational technology, Tomalis said.

Although many Illinois educators share Evanston's concerns about some of the law's requirements, state education leaders are unaware of any districts that have bailed. In southern Illinois, Dongola school district Supt. William Mauser planned to reject $16,000 in Title I funds rather than send students to a higher-achieving district. But when an agreement couldn't be reached with a neighboring district to accept them, Mauser said his district was able to keep its students--and the money.

"There are an awful number of people who rumble about [No Child Left Behind]," said Dave Turner, executive director of the Springfield-based Illinois Principals Association. "But sometimes that's simply a catharsis, when you get a group of principals and superintendents together who say I'm going to take this law and shove it, sometimes more professionally than that and sometimes not."

Leaving no option for some

Other local school districts have looked into pulling out of No Child Left Behind but decided against it.

"We've considered the question, but at this time it's not a direction in which we're going to head," said Philip Prale, director of instruction at Oak Park and River Forest High School. The district receives about $80,000 to $90,000 in Title I funds used for a reading enrichment program and test preparation for targeted students, he said.

With an annual budget of about $46 million, Evanston High School uses most of its Title I money to pay teacher's aides who work with students in reading, math and English, said business manager Jeff Taggart.

This was the first year the district didn't make adequate progress because not enough African-American and low-income students passed reading and math tests, according to the 2003 state report card. Under No Child Left Behind, sanctions involving school choice and private tutoring start to kick in when a district doesn't meet standards two years in a row.

School officials say the data are inaccurate, and they are appealing.

Costs are at issue

"On paper the goals are certainly admirable. Who would object to them?" school board president Margaret Lurie said, noting that the district worked to close the achievement gap between minority students and their white peers long before the government made it a priority.

Yet, "like so many of the mandates that we get, there's just no money behind it," she said. "And there's the whole concept of having to worry about test scores when we feel we're constantly working on student achievement."

She and other board members asked school administrators to provide an analysis of the costs associated with the law before they discuss--and eventually vote on--whether to forgo the Title I money.

The seven-member board hasn't set a timetable but plans to take up the issue before the end of the school year. Three members reached by the Tribune last week would not commit themselves one way or the other.

"Politically, I'm not sure it's a good idea," Lurie said. "It would have to be a strong case to present to the taxpayers. There are a lot of programs that the money goes to."

Board member Jane Colleton said it's an important issue to debate, because "it is not a lot of money for all the hoops we are jumping through."

In the meantime, she proposed a bake sale.

"There are so many people who don't like No Child Left Behind, we can get a lot of teachers to bake and buy," she said with a laugh. "We might be able to make up that money."