HR0689 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0689 LRB096 15105 GRL 30136 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate the students, staff, and administration of Mill Street Elementary School on the occasion of the dedication of the school's new renovations on October 19, 2009; and

WHEREAS, The history of what would become Mill Street Elementary School began in the 1960s, a decade marked by rapid growth in both population and real estate value in the City of Naperville; in 1966, the District 78 Board of Education called voters to the polls to approve a building referendum for a new elementary school; the community approved a $1,049,375 referendum to build Mill Street Elementary School on 14.25 acres north of Ogden Avenue along the east side of Mill Street; the capacity of the new school would be 800 students in 20 regular classrooms, two kindergarten rooms, four special education rooms, a central learning resource center, and a gymnasium with a stage and office; this new school would provide for the burgeoning numbers of elementary-age school children in the district; and

WHEREAS, Mill Street Elementary School opened in time for the school year to begin in the fall of 1967 under the leadership of the school's first principal, Robert Hillenbrand; with a starting enrollment of 596 students, Mill Street was the first elementary school to have rooms designed specifically for art, music, and special education; the school's 26 classrooms included partition walls that could be opened and closed, allowing teachers the flexibility of changing the instructional environment to accommodate large-group activities; the school was dedicated in February of 1968 to the memory of Edna C. Wunder, who had attended school as a child in Naperville and had been an educator in the public elementary schools for 45 years; and

WHEREAS, Robert Hillenbrand served as principal of Mill Street Elementary School until the 1982-1983 school year; subsequent Mill Street School principals have included Sue Ellen Jensen, Larry Dusanek, Ruth Cross, and the school's current principal, Mark DeMoulin; and

WHEREAS, Over the years, the population on the north side of Naperville grew and Mill Street Elementary School moved beyond its capacity during the 1999-2000 school year; as the demographics of Naperville shifted, the need for English Language Learner (ELL) classes and other support resources translated into the necessity for finding additional space; in response to these changes, the district decided to begin a comprehensive renovation of the 40 year old school; and

WHEREAS, In the past year, over $7 million in improvements have been made to Mill Street Elementary School, thanks to a $43 million facilities bond referendum which passed in February of 2008 as part of a larger $115 million plan; the various improvements made to Mill Street School include the addition of a 15,000 square foot gymnasium/multipurpose/lunch area, the addition of a kindergarten classroom; the improvement of traffic flow around the school, the renovation of the building's core, the reconfiguration of the current multipurpose room to provide instructional learning areas for educational support programs, and the expansion of the school's conference room, school office area, and nurse's facilities; and

WHEREAS, The improvements made to Mill Street Elementary School will ensure that future generations of school children in the City of Naperville will receive the quality education that they deserve; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the students, staff, and administration of Mill Street Elementary School on the occasion of the dedication of the school's new renovations and wish them the best in the years to come; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Mark DeMoulin, principal of Mill Street Elementary School, as a symbol of our esteem and respect.