DeKalb, Sycamore school districts consider collab for pre-K

DeKALB – DeKalb School District 428 could partner with Sycamore School District 427 on plans for a new early learning development center, although considerations remain preliminary.

Current talks suggest a joint early learning center would be housed in Sycamore district’s new administrative center, 1947 Bethany Road. The move for District 427 offices is expected to be complete by the end of the month.

Officials with DeKalb schools recently said they’ve been engaged with Sycamore district leaders over a possible agreement that could help both districts utilize new space to benefit pre-kindergarten students.

Tammy Carson, DeKalb’s director of facility and safety operations, said the district enlisted an architect to help school officials evaluate their options. Plans are in their early stages, and nothing has been finalized.

“There’s a lot of variables to consider, and we’re just in the very preliminary stages of that,” Carson said.

District leaders have said they plan to relocate DeKalb’s early learning development center from Huntley Middle School, meant to help reduce classroom sizes.

[ DeKalb School District officials say new early learning center needed ]

The Center also is not up to Illinois school code for serving DeKalb preschoolers, officials have said.

Carson said the DeKalb district would need 16 classrooms, and the Sycamore district would likely want an additional four to six classrooms if both districts decided to house an early learning center in the Bethany Road building. She said the north parking lot would likely need removing, and space would need to include enough room for administrative offices.

She said Sycamore district’s adult transition program intends to maintain a location in the lower level of the building, which also requires parking and busing.

DeKalb officials said they hope to have cost estimates for a potential early learning center collaboration by mid-July or the end of August.

Superintendent Minerva Garcia-Sanchez said she has some concerns about transportation costs with moving students from DeKalb to Sycamore. The Bethany Road building is near the DeKalb-Sycamore city line.

“We would be required to transport those children, whereas some of them are not being transported by us now,” Garcia-Sanchez said. “By moving them, we would have to do that.”

Garcia-Sanchez also raised a safety concern.

DeKalb’s early learning development center shares space with Huntley Middle School, which Garcia-Sanchez said means security is more contained than at the Sycamore administration building.

“I definitely had some safety concerns on top of the financial concerns,” Garcia-Sanchez said.

Some, like Board President Christopher Boyes and Board Secretary Steve Byers, said they don’t feel DeKalb should proceed with the cooperative agreement.

Boyes cited a desired remedy for DeKalb’s learning center location sooner rather than later.

“I think collaboration is great, but I think collaboration looks better for everyone involved if we are the one flag-shipping it within our district,” Boyes said. “My preference is that we would not move forward on something on their education center. I don’t think it fits our needs.”

But Board Vice President Jose Jaques said he doesn’t think DeKalb schools should go at it alone.

“I don’t think we should shut off working with Sycamore,” Jaques said.

Board member Nick Atwood agreed.

“I like the idea of working together with them, but I do think we should be hosting the facility,” Atwood said.

School officials said Sycamore leaders have given the DeKalb school board the remainder of July to come to a decision.