FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 17, 2003
State Board of Education acts on Thomas Jefferson Charter
School request for renewal
The State Board of Education voted today to grant a one-year
charter to the Thomas Jefferson Charter School of Des
Plaines rather than the five-year extension that the school
had sought. The Board granted the one-year extension by
a 7 to 2 vote after several board members expressed strong
concerns about the school’s lack of compliance with
all special education requirements under the federal Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
The one-year charter is granted on the condition that
the State Board receives and approves an accountability
plan and the school complies with all IDEA-required special
education provisions by August 1. By renewing the school’s
charter, the State Board allows Thomas Jefferson to continue
to operate as a public school.
First opening its doors for the 1999–2000 school
year, Thomas Jefferson is one of two schools in Illinois
that is chartered by the State Board rather than by a
local district. An on-site visit by State Board staff
found that parents who were surveyed expressed strong
approval of and support for the school and that student
test scores were comparable to statewide scores. However,
the school’s accountability plan and curriculum were
not fully developed in accordance with the terms of the
original charter, and several concerns were noted regarding
special education.
The school has an enrollment of 77 students, and class
sizes range from 8 to 19 students. The student population
is 77 percent Asian/Pacific Islander with a minority of
white, black and Hispanic students. A majority of students
speak English as a second language.
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