District 202 held ribbon cutting ceremony for 18th elementary school

District 202 in Plainfield held a ribbon cutting ceremony for its newest elementary school on Aug. 3.

Wallin Oaks Elementary School will officially open its doors on Aug. 18, a release from District 202 said.

Stacey DiBitetto will serve as principal. She is the previous principal at Ridge Elementary School in Plainfield, since 2011.

Jennifer Lewis will serve as the assistant principal. Lewis has been the fourth grade teacher at Ridge Elementary School since 2006, where she began her educational career

Wallin Oaks is the 18th full-service District 202 elementary school. It’s construction was part of a larger plan to create enough space district-wide to provide full-day kindergarten for all eligible students, as well as various special education programs, the release said.

District officials estimated that more than 1,500 students may want full-day kindergarten, the release said. But 25,000 students, District 202 did not have sufficient space provide full-day kindergarten at its 17 other elementary schools, a news release said.

So for the 2016-2017 school year, District 202 created a full-day kindergarten program for 408 students who would be chosen randomly through a computerized lottery, the release said.

Then in April 2019, District 202′s board of education approved plans to build a new school – Wallin Oaks – for $25 million through a special leasing option. This means District 202 will pay the $2.5 million for 10 years.

Because of this “unique arrangement,” District 202 need not increase tax rate to pay for this new school building, although “individual tax bills may increase based on individual property values,” the release said.