Crestwood advisory team members.

DEARBORN HEIGHTS — The Crestwood School District is increasing parental involvement with teachers about students’ educational needs and activities, in conjunction with Tuesday’s 40th anniversary of Title I.

As discussed at the Crestwood Advisory Team (CAT) meeting, the federal Title I program provides funding for schools, with additional resources to assist low-achieving students. Teachers are required to make parents accountable for their children’s academic improvements and activities.

“We’re in the process of developing a district-wide Title I parent involvement policy,” said Richard Klee, director of Curriculum and Instruction at Crestwood.

The Crestwood School District receives about $1.6 million in Title I funding, according to Klee.

“You have the opportunity to be there, meet the children at their level and provide what they need to fill in the gaps,” a Kinloch Elementary teacher said about the program.” It’s been a great asset to our district.”

The funding has helped add two or more teachers to work with students with large classrooms in the district. The schools have also provided English as second language students with online textbooks, so they have access to them at home.

The best avenues of communication with parents with low access to technology were discussed, but no action plan was implemented.

The recent discovery of students ingesting marijuana at Riverside Middle School has also pushed the school to look into improved communication with parents about incidents at the school.

The $35 million bond proposal, which will be on the May 3 ballot, was discussed, along with plans to inform district residents of an average cost of $20 per month. The bond will make building infrastructure and technological improvements to all Crestwood District schools.

Improvements to education and increases to property values as a result of the bond will be emphasized to residents.

The last bond applied to the schools were in 1967.

“Our buildings show it,” said one attendee.

A new chairperson of CAT, Masoud Al-Awamleh, was elected at Tuesday’s meeting.