Champaign Unit 4 Schools superintendent Susan Zola informed families of gifted students Friday that she will recommend the gradual phase out of the gifted program at the next school board meeting on Monday.
“As we work to improve our accelerated learning programs, promote desegregation and increase access to rigor within our schools,” Zola wrote, “we are proposing changes to our gifted education program. Enrollment in gifted classrooms continues to trend down, and the makeup of the classrooms continues to represent a limited group of students that is not reflective of the diversity of the District. Based on this and the work of the strategic plan, District administration will recommend the gradual phasing out of self-contained elementary gifted programming to the Board of Education on Monday, March 8.”
Zola added that the phase-out will occur over the next three years.
“What does this mean for your child who is currently enrolled in a self-contained gifted classroom?” Zola wrote, “Children currently enrolled in gifted programming will see little to no change. They will continue in the program at the same location, provided that staffing is available. The main difference is that we will not be adding additional children to the existing program as we phase out” over the next three years.
Families are encouraged to offer feedback at u4boe@u4sd.org.
Some Champaign-Urbana Area Students to Receive Food Stipend Through Federal Program