State Schools Chief Defends District 303 on Richmond-Davis Changes

The state’s schools chief on Wednesday testified that St. Charles Community School District 303 acted within the law when it reorganized Richmond and Davis elementary schools in 2011, the Kane County Chronicle reports.

The Chronicle reported that state Schools Superintendent Christopher Koch testified for more than an hour Wednesday during the bench trial after an appellate court directed the 16th Judicial Circuit to determine whether the reorganization of the two schools qualified as a school improvement plan under the Illinois School Code.

Called by District 303 to testify as an expert, Koch defended the district’s actions in reorganizing the two schools after Richmond saw attendance drop sharply after failing to achieve adequate yearly progress over two years.

A group of parents has contested the reorganization, saying the district used the reorganization to sidestep the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act.

Full details of Wednesday’s trial session can be found in the Kane County Chronicle’s article.