D308 ready as Oswego area population grows

Even as Oswego continues to grow, Oswego School District 308 is able to handle the longer class rosters.

That was the message to village trustees at a recent Oswego Committee of the Whole meeting, where RSP & Associates CEO Rob Schwarz presented the findings of a district enrollment analysis his firm conducted.

“A few months ago, the village president asked if we could have the school district come and talk a little about growth and development and what its impact is on the school facilities,” Oswego Village Administrator Dan Di Santo said during the Sept. 17 meeting. “This is a question that’s come up a lot as a lot of development has been considered and approved here at the village over the last several years.”

District 308 Superintendent Andalib Khelghati said addressing growth is an important issue for the district. Schwarz and his firm have been doing demography studies for the district for the past 11 years.

“The school board’s charge to me has been to develop a process, to examine how we’re going to think about the growth in the area and to think about our facility considerations as well as other considerations such as transportation, which is also on many people’s minds as well,” Khelghati said.

The district covers about 68 square miles, with students not only in Oswego, but also Aurora, Joliet, Montgomery, Plainfield and Yorkville. The district’s enrollment has decreased in the last seven years, from 17,384 students in the 2017-2018 school year to 16,140 students in the 2023-2024 school year, according to the study.

Oswego School District does tend to see more new students migrating into the district than students migrating out of the district. In the 2023-24 school year, the district lost 769 students and gained 962 students, for a net gain of 193 students.

The number of adults having families is one variable RSP & Associates looks at in determining future enrollment. Schwarz pointed out that births in Kendall, Kane and Will counties have been decreasing. School District 308 serves all three counties.

In Kendall County, for example, there is a three-year average of 27 fewer live births per year, according to the study. Live births have been below 1,600 births per year for the past seven years.

That decline in Kendall, Kane and Will counties can potentially result in smaller kindergarten classes, according to the study.

According to RSP & Associates’ latest enrollment analysis for the district, which was updated in March, the district’s overall enrollment is expected to decrease by 189 students in the next five years, bringing it down to 15,951 students. Although elementary school enrollment is expected to increase by 173 students and junior high enrollment is expected by increase by 78 students during that same time period, high school enrollment is expected to decrease by 440 students in five years.

The study does note that Long Beach and Southbury elementary schools are expected to face capacity challenges in the next five years. The study concludes there is adequate district-wide capacity through school year 2028-2029 at all levels.

Schwarz said that assessment could change slightly because of the village’s development potential, especially near Wolfs Crossing Road.

“We know some things are starting to emerge a little bit quicker in the timeline,” he said. “And so when we do our next assessment, I would imagine that decrease of about 200 students is going to go closer in five years of being even to what we are right now.”

In August, the Oswego Village Board approved a developer’s concept plan to build more than 600 housing units on 160 acres at Wolfs Crossing Road and Route 30 that is proposed to be annexed to Oswego.

District 308 Deputy Superintendent Heather Kincaid said there will be a need for continued discussion about enrollment considerations at Long Beach and Southbury elementary schools over the next year or so.

“But very close to Long Beach, we’ve got room in Old Post,” Kincaid said. “Also very close to Southbury we have room in both Churchill and in Wolf’s Crossing Elementary School. So what we’re doing is looking in those attendance areas. All five of those schools have both special education and English Learners programming, so that’s all part of the discussion as we look at where would be the best place for our students.”

Khelghati told village trustees a strategic plan for the district should be completed in March. He said the plan will examine the district’s strengths along with areas of improvement.

In addition, Khelghati said the district will be engaging in a master facility planning process.

“We need to know every nook and cranny,” he said. “In our buildings, by and large, there is room for growth. How are we using those spaces? Are we maximizing the use of those spaces? These are things that have not been done in the past.”

In mid-winter, Khelghati said he plans to launch a student assignment planning process. Community stakeholders will be involved in all of the planning, he said.

Oswego Village President Ryan Kauffman said village officials can share with residents the impact that growth is having on the school district.

“As we hear the feedback from residents about all the residential growth, we can tell them that what we’re hearing is that we’re not overwhelming the school district and that the school district is doing just fine,” Kauffman said.