"Reimagine Alton" Project Asks Community to Shape Alton School District Growth

ALTON - Alton Community Unit School District #11 has a unique program that allows community stakeholders to provide input to administrators.

The Reimagine Alton project asks community members to come together and brainstorm ways to improve Alton schools. Over the past year, the group has met multiple times and will present their ideas to the Board of Education in June. Superintendent Elaine Kane noted that the goal is to help the community by building up the school district.

“Strong schools are important for our community to thrive,” Kane said. “It's inspiring, truly, to be in a community like Alton that has such strong support for public education. The time that our community stakeholders have invested is amazing.”

Doris Tolbert is one of the project’s facilitators. She explained that she and her children are “products of the district,” and her grandchildren are currently enrolled. She believes it’s her responsibility, as a community member, to advocate for the local school district.

“I live here, so I should have some working knowledge of what's going on with the district here in town,” she explained. “One person can't do this. It's going to take the collective effort of the entire community, not just the students, not just the teachers, but the entire community, because we all live here.”

Tolbert said the group has primarily focused on improving the attendance and graduation rates. Because of the Reimagine Alton conversations, the district will host in-person registration, find more ways for the community to engage during graduation, and is working on methods to enhance student experiences.

Kane noted that the goal is to allow “members of our school community [to] share their experiences and their input as we make decisions and allocate resources.” Tolbert added that they hope to attract and retain teachers who are “the cream of the crop.”

Above all else, the Reimagine Alton project aims to provide students with a positive experience and a well-rounded education. Tolbert and other participating stakeholders agree that this is their top priority.

“If we don't invest in our children now, we will be investing in them in a very negative way five, ten, 20 years from now,” she said. “We are just collectively trying to come up with a way to foster a healthy, inclusive environment here for all of the students, because we want them all to succeed.”

Kane believes the Reimagine Alton project is off to a great start, with plans to continue the project for the foreseeable future. She has found it “very satisfying” to see these stakeholders come together, and she is proud of the district’s response.

“We would have schools that students get to go to, not have to go to,” she said. “After listening, we know that we're better equipped to support families and to support our community and the common goal, which is students coming to school every day and all of our students graduating ready for whatever opportunities they want to pursue after graduation.”

Tolbert echoed Kane, noting that the students have many people in the community who are rooting for them and advocating so they can “compete globally” after graduating. She is proud to be a part of the Reimagine Alton group and eager to share their findings with the Board of Education in June.

She encourages other community members to find ways to get involved in the school district, whether by volunteering, joining the Reimagine Alton group, or fostering better experiences for teachers and students in their own ways. Tolbert and Kane agree that the district is a great place to be, and they only want to see it improve.

“Alton School District #11 has a lot to offer our children,” Tolbert said. “I just want to make sure that our school board stays strong, our teachers stay strong, and we continue to support our superintendent and her administrative team. I firmly believe that they want to see our kids continue to prosper and thrive and grow and do great things, as we know that they can do. They can do great things.”

For more information about Reimagine Alton, including a summary of their meetings or information about how to get involved, visit the official webpage.

This Featured Article is sponsored by Alton Community Unit School District #11. To get your business or organization featured on www.Riverbender.com, contact us at sales@riverbender.com.

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