Rockford Public School District 205

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Rockford Public Schools
Location
Rockford, Illinois
Northern Illinois
United States
Coordinates42°15′45″N 89°04′53″W / 42.262418°N 89.081370°W / 42.262418; -89.081370
District information
TypePublic
MottoReadiness Rocks!
GradesK-12
Established1884
SuperintendentDr. Ehren Robert Jarrett[1]
Asst. superintendent(s)Matthew Vosberg[2]
Schools44[3]
Budget$230 million[3]
NCES District ID1734510[4]
Students and staff
Students28,194 (2020-21)[5]
Athletic conferenceNorthern Illinois Conference (NIC-10)
Other information
Websiterps205.com

Rockford Public Schools, officially designated by the state as Rockford Public Schools District 205 is a large unit school district located in Rockford, Illinois. In 2012, the district had an enrollment of 26,980 students, making it the fourth-largest school district by enrollment in Illinois.[6] Per student, the school district spends approximately $11,400 on average.[7]

History[]

Early 19th century[]

Following its founding as two separate settlements in the 1830s, residents of Rockford, Illinois (joined in 1839 from two separate communities) began to set up a network of schools in the community. From the 1830s to the 1850s, all of the schools in Rockford were private, charging tuition for students.[8] In 1855, Illinois passed a law requiring communities to establish public schools free of tuition.[8]

1857-1884: Two school districts[]

In response to the state legislation requiring public schools, the city of Rockford established two separate school districts for each half of the city: District 1, east of the Rock River, and District 2, west of the river.[8][9] Operated by the city council (in lieu of a formal school board),[10] both school districts featured a graded structure, from first grade through high school.

The school systems on both sides of the city proved popular, with overcrowding becoming an issue by the end of the 1860s. Out of necessity, both districts built dedicated elementary schools.[8]

1884-1900: One school district[]

In 1884, the city of Rockford consolidated its separate school districts into a single citywide school district;[8][10] a referendum to create a separate school board lost, keeping the schools under city control.[8] As part of the unification, the two overcrowded schools serving high school grades were replaced by a centrally-located dedicated high school, with Rockford Central High School opening in 1885.[8][9][10]

During the 1890s, the school district began a campaign of school expansion and updates, replacing several stone school buildings with brick ones.[9] In what has become a long-running tradition, school names were renamed from individual city wards to take on the names of historical Rockford citizens.[10]

1900-1950[]

As Rockford expanded during the first decades of the 20th century, so did the school district, adding several elementary schools. By 1915, Rockford Central High had undergone three additions (in 1900, 1906, 1913), with the school district purchasing an additional building adjacent to the school in 1917.[11] To partially address the overcrowding, the school district constructed two junior high schools in the early 1920s.[9] As a further stopgap, 9th grade students were moved out of Central High School after their construction.[8]

By the mid-1930s, the population of Rockford (which had grown seven-fold since 1885) had outgrown its single high school. In addition, the condition of Rockford Central High was considered too deteriorated to house students.[8] In 1938, the school board approved $3 million in funding to build two new high schools to replace Rockford Central, with 45% of the budget funded by Works Progress Administration. Opened in 1940, Rockford East High School and Rockford West High School became the fourth and fifth secondary schools of the district (alongside a second west-side junior also high opened in 1940).

1950-2000[]

During the 1950s, Rockford underwent a significant period of population growth, becoming the second-largest city in Illinois. Coinciding with population growth, the city saw significant expansion away from the river westward and eastward. The creation of entirely new neighborhoods in the city led to construction of several elementary and junior high schools. By the early 1960s, the expansion outward led to the need for two more high schools, Rockford Auburn on the northwest side and Rockford Guilford on the northeast side. Rockford Jefferson on the southeast side was built in 1977 as a fifth high school (replacing a previous high school of the same name opened in 1956 as a junior high).

During much of the 1990s, the Rockford school district underwent a period of required school desegregation as part of a class-action lawsuit.

Schools[]

Further information: Public schools of Rockford, Illinois

With 45 schools in total, Rockford Public Schools has the third-largest number of schools of any district in the state.[6] The district consists of four high schools, six middle schools, and 29 elementary schools. Beginning with the class of 2021, graduates of the Rockford Public Schools and residents within the city of Rockford with a cumulative 3.0 GPA can attend Northern Illinois University tuition free. This location-based scholarship program is a partnership between Rockford Public Schools, Northern Illinois University, Rockford Promise and the city of Rockford. [12]

References[]

  1. ^ "Rockford Public Schools District 205 Administration". Rockford Public Schools (RPS205). July 29, 2013. Archived from the original on July 29, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  2. ^ "Rockford Public Schools District 205 Administration". Rockford Public Schools (RPS205). July 29, 2013. Archived from the original on July 29, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2013.
  3. ^ a b "ROCKFORD SD 205 | District Snapshot". Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  4. ^ "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for Rockford School District 205". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved January 12, 2013.
  5. ^ "ROCKFORD SD 205 | Enrollment". Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Illinois Report Card".
  7. ^ Dixon, Mark (June 2012). "Public Education Finances: 2010 | Governments Division Reports" (PDF). census.gov. US Department of Commerce | Economics and Statistics Administration | US Census Bureau. p. 100.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i "The Rise and Fall of Rockford Central High School". www.lib.niu.edu. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
  9. ^ a b c d Services, DNC Web. "Rockford Public Schools". www.rockfordreminisce.com. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
  10. ^ a b c d Group, Genealogy Trails History. "EARLY ROCKFORD SCHOOLS in Winnebago County, Illinois". genealogytrails.com. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
  11. ^ "Rockford-High-School Buildings 1884-2015". Rockford Historical Society. Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
  12. ^ "Rockford Promise - NIU - Financial Aid and Scholarships Office". Northern Illinois University. Retrieved December 10, 2020.

External links[]

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