Woodland Community Consolidated School District 50 is one of the state’s largest elementary school systems with approximately 5,700 students, yet it takes great pride in providing a small-school comfort level for children in its five Gurnee-area schools. With recent approval of a community-driven strategic plan for 2018-2023, the district created new statements regarding its vision and mission.
Mission: Woodland District 50 empowers our children to reach their potential by providing exceptional learning experiences that foster critical thinking in a nurturing learning environment.
Vision: Together, inspiring tomorrow’s creators, thinkers and leaders.
What Makes Woodland Special: Smaller class sizes
Effective in the 2018-2019 school year, class size goals are as follows: Kindergarten, 15-18 students; first through third grade, 18-21 students; and fourth through eighth grade, 21-24 students. The smaller class sizes are intended to help foster positive relationships between teachers and students, provide more personal attention to students, improve academic achievement and ultimately measure that success.
Dual Language
Kindergarten through fifth-grade students enrolled in a dual language program spend half of the day speaking and learning only Spanish and half of the day speaking and learning only English. In the 2018-19 school year, the program is expanding to the middle school.
Celebrating Differences
More than 40 different languages are spoken at home by our students, and school activities allow the children to learn more about different cultures. Parents are encouraged to participate in our bilingual parent advisory committee as well as help their children by participating in our Latino family literacy programs.
1:1 Technology
Each child in fourth through eighth grade has a Chromebook personal computer for learning. The 1:1 technology is part of the Woodland Inspires initiative and as Chromebooks are introduced, technology is reallocated to the lower grades. The reallocation of iPads, Macs and laptops is valued at more than $300,000.
Finances
For nine of the past 10 years, Woodland received “financial recognition,” the highest designation from the Illinois State Board of Education. The district’s budgets are balanced without sacrificing core program offerings, and its financial credit ratings are among the highest with a AA+ rating by Moody’s Investor Services and a Aa2 rating by Standard & Poor’s Financial Investor Services.
Stay in Touch
Follow the district on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WoodlandDistrict50 and Twitter: @Woodland50News. Downlaod the free app, WoodlandCCSD50, available through iPhone and Android devices.