Rockton Schools Keep Getting More Crowded

Rockton, Illinois- Several school districts in the Stateline are dealing with overcrowding this school year. The Rockton School District is one of them. "We welcome the kids, we`re glad they`re here. They`re our students. We want them to feel at home," says Superintendent Jean Harezlak. Harezlak says usually new students stop arriving shortly after the school year begins, but not this year. "This has been an usual year, there`s been one or two children enrolling week after week in one or the other schools after labor day and that is a concern." A 10 room addition should be completed in December to accommodate the influx of students. It is going up between Rockton Grade School and Whitman Post Elementary School, but it might not solve their space issues. "As soon as we open the doors and it`s finished, all of the rooms will be filled and that adds another concern," says Harezlak. If the students keep coming, the district will have to come up with new ideas soon. "We`re going to have to come up with a range of options to explore and follow if this constant enrollment in the Rockton District," says Harezlak. That could mean building an entirely new school, which takes about three years. So if the arrival of new students to Rockton does not slow down for at least a few years, mobile classrooms outside will likely be their new learning space.