Illinois District Forms More Multi-Grade Classes Due To Teacher Layoffs

The Elgin (IL) Courier News (1/24, McFarlan) reports, "Multi-grade classrooms aren't new - think one-room schoolhouse - and they aren't all that uncommon in Elgin [IL] School District U46, according to district officials. But there are more multi-grade classrooms this year than in years past, mostly because more than 400 teachers were laid off in last year's budget cuts." According to the Courier News, "This year, U46 elementary schools have 689 single-grade classrooms and 177 multi-grade classrooms, according to Deborah Devine, the district math instructional coach," which is "more than 20 percent of the Elgin school district's elementary classrooms - about a 4 percent jump from the number of multi-grade classrooms (158 of 979 elementary classrooms) in the district last year."