ALTON - After 12 years in the Alton School District, Alton Superintendent Kenneth Spells is taking an opportunity to be the superintendent of a larger school district in South Bend, Indiana.
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Spells said he has always felt grateful for the Alton community and school district. In his five years as superintendent, Spells said he was also able to work with an excellent school board. He said he is taking the job in South Bend because it was an opportunity he could not miss. The South Bend School Corporation (school districts are referred to as "corporations" in Indiana) contains approximately 20,000 students housed in 34 schools.
"This is a great community," Spells said of Alton. "I've had the opportunity to work with some amazing people. I have had a very good experience here in Alton. I have really loved working with the students, and having as many opportunities as possible to do so. This community has been very good to me."
Spells spent three years as assistant principal at East Middle School followed by four years as assistant superintendent. During his five years as superintendent, Spells said he is proud of the things he was able to oversee and do, including visiting Washington, D.C. and meeting President Barrack Obama regarding the 1:1 technology program Spells helped initiate in the district.
Among his other achievements in the Alton School District are adding 15 minutes to the school day at the elementary level by working with the Alton Education Association. This allowed younger students to have an additional 75 minutes a week of instruction. He also helped the district implement the Reach Out and Read (ROAR) Program, which invites members of the community to come to elementary schools and read to young students as well as guide them with a bit of reading instruction.
"We have bankers, clergymen and local politicians all come out and read to the kids," Spells said. "We're very excited for that. Anytime you can build partnerships with the community, it's great."
Another community partnership established under Spells's leadership is the CEO program, set to launch next year in partnership with the Riverbend Growth Association. That program allows students to learn from local business leaders and requires them to create their own entrepreneurial business model.
The maritime engineering program is also set to begin next year in the Alton School District. Spells said he thought that program was important to students who may want to make a career out of the Mississippi River, its commerce and its resources.
The on-campus athletic facilities were also another mark of excellence for Spells, who said the new upgrades allowed for more students to participate in school sports. He was also proud of the addition of boys' volleyball to the sports available for students to play.
Spells also oversaw the creation of the paired school attendance center model the district will begin for the 2016-17 school year. The controversial decision was made to save the school well over $300,000 a year by moving students to school buildings based on both location and grade level, instead of only location. The measure cost the district 10 staff positions, and was the result of a school funding crisis, which has hit many districts across the State of Illinois.
Spells will mark his last day in the Alton School District on June 30. He will begin his next chapter as Superintendent of the South Bend School Corporation on July 1. Spells said he will be spending the next few weekends in South Bend meeting with his new team and getting a feel for the community.
A replacement has not been officially named at this time.
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