Turnaround Seen At Elmhurst School, Principal Called 'Change Factor'

ELMHURST, IL – Officials on Tuesday presented numbers showing a turnaround at Elmhurst's Conrad Fischer Elementary School.

More than half the school's students come from low-income families, the highest rate in Elmhurst District 205.

According to an annual survey, 61 percent of Fischer's students rated the school as having a supportive environment. That's up from 47 percent three years ago.

During that same time, Hispanic students increased their ratings of teacher trust from 40 percent to 71 percent in three years.

The district reported that English language arts proficiency rose to 49 percent, up from 35 percent three years ago.

As for math proficiency, 47 percent are now making the mark, rising from 31 percent three years ago.

During Tuesday's school board meeting, Principal Efrain Martinez, who took the helm three years ago, said the school has promoted a supportive environment by strengthening morning meetings as a consistent schoolwide practice.

"We also established our reward principles, so students experience clear and consistent expectations throughout our schools," he said.

That involves reinforcing positive behavior through praise and rewards, he said.

"When I arrived in 2023, we began with a simple commitment: Regardless of a family's neighborhood, their background, their language or socioeconomic status, every child and family will belong to one Fischer," the principal said.

Board member Courtenae Trautmann credited Martinez for the improvements.

"You have been the change factor there because there's been a lot of passion for the Conrad Fischer community over the years, but there wasn't the person that made it click," she said. "You've put people into place to make it a team, but it started with you."

According to the Illinois Report Card, 51 percent of Fischer students are from low-income families, compared with the district's 17 percent. And 54 percent of Fischer's students are Hispanic, higher than the district's 20 percent.