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3 Dooley students smiling outside of school

A goal of the School District 54 Board of Education is to provide options for parents in the selection of their child’s school. In addition to the neighborhood school, School District 54 has developed programs at several district schools, which it can now offer as choices.

District 54 invites parents to its Virtual Open Enrollment Fair at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, January 26, 2022 (Virtual Open Enrollment Fair Zoom Link). The fair will provide parents with information on seven elementary schools in the district: Campanelli, Dooley, Enders-Salk, Hanover Highlands, Lincoln Prairie, Link and MacArthur. Each school houses a unique program and School District 54 anticipates openings at each site next year.

If you would like your child to attend one of these schools, applications are due March 4, 2022. You do not need to attend the virtual fair to apply, as all student applications received by March 4 will be placed in a lottery. Students must be registered before they will be accepted. Kindergarten registration begins Feb. 2, 2022. Schools will send letters to all applicants by March 18; the letter will state whether the student has been accepted into the Open Enrollment program or has been put on a waitlist. 

A short description of each school is listed below.

Campanelli Elementary School:  The goal of the Chinese Immersion Program is for students to communicate effectively in Mandarin Chinese as well as develop a deep understanding of the Chinese culture at this Schaumburg school. For more information, call Principal Amy Houlihan at (847) 357-5333.

Dooley Elementary School: Dooley, in Schaumburg, offers a Dual-Language Japanese Program and Early Instrumental Music Program. Students learn Japanese and English together in this dual-language setting. In addition, early instrumental music (violin) is available to primary students at Dooley. Individuals can sign up for the Dual-Language Program only or the Dual-Language and Early Instrumental Music programs together. For more information, call Principal Holly Schlicher at (847) 357-6250.

Enders-Salk Elementary School:  Dual-Language Spanish kindergarten classes started in 2000 at Enders-Salk in Schaumburg. The goal of this program is for students to communicate effectively in both languages by the time they exit the school at the end of sixth grade. For more information, call Principal Michael Henry at (847) 357-6400.

Hanover Highlands Elementary School:  Dual-Language Spanish kindergarten classes started in 2004 at Hanover Highlands in Hanover Park. The goal of this program is for students to communicate effectively in both languages by the time they exit the school at the end of sixth grade. For more information, call Principal Amy Thompson at (630) 736-4230.

Lincoln Prairie School:  Lincoln Prairie, in Hoffman Estates, is a community school founded on the premise that students learn in a variety of ways. Lincoln Prairie is the only District 54 building housing children from kindergarten through eighth grade. Students are grouped in multiage classrooms, working with teams of teachers on integrated curriculum. Project Development Time, in which students choose learning projects offered by staff, is a popular activity. Parent participation is an expectation at Lincoln Prairie. For more information, call Principal Amanda Stochl at (847) 357-5955.

Link School: Dual-Language Spanish kindergarten classes started in 2009 at Link, based in Elk Grove Village. The goal of this program is for students to communicate effectively in both languages by the time they exit the school at the end of sixth grade. For more information, call Principal Quinn Wulbecker at (847) 357-5300.

MacArthur International Spanish Academy:  The original Dual-Language School in District 54, MacArthur, in Hoffman Estates, has been offering a full dual-language Spanish program for 25 years. Kindergarten students will learn Spanish and English from classroom teachers who are fluent in each language. For more information, call Principal Sonia Esquivel at (847) 357-6650.

For more information or to apply to one of these specialized programs, visit the Open Enrollment page. You can also contact Terri McHugh, community relations executive director, at (847) 357-5028 or [email protected] for more information.