Dixon’s St. Anne School principal named finalist in statewide Golden Apple Award for leadership

Dixon’s St. Anne Catholic School principal is one of seven school administrators across Illinois to be selected as finalists for the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Leadership.

Talarie Bilharz, who is in her fourth year as principal at St. Anne, told Shaw Local “it was just a shock” to find out she was selected as a finalist. She described how after she was nominated, the awards foundation sent her questionnaires that she filled out “not really even thinking I even stood a chance.”

“I’m just a tiny, little Catholic school principal, you know? It’s pretty amazing,” Bilharz said. “I just come and do my job every day. I love to be here. I’m lucky to be able to do what I love.”

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St. Anne’s principal Talarie Bilharz chats with students over lunch Tuesday, March 17, 2026. Bilharz is one of seven Illinois principals up for the Golden Apple award. (Alex T. Paschal)

The Golden Apple Leadership Award is a highly competitive award that honors grade school principals or school leaders who have had a positive impact on their school, created an inclusive culture and fostered student growth. The 2026 finalists were selected out of nearly 100 nominees, according to a news release from the Golden Apple Foundation, the Illinois nonprofit that presents the award.

The foundation did not immediately respond to Shaw Local’s inquiry about when the award recipient will be announced. In 2025, two recipients were named and given the award during a surprise visit in late April that year, according to those news releases.

“Strong schools are shaped by leaders who bring out the best in the people around them. By supporting educators, encouraging continual growth, and always keeping their communities at the center of their missions, these leaders have created environments where all students can thrive,” Golden Apple President Alan Mather said in the 2026 release.

Bilharz started her career teaching kindergarten and then junior high. After that she moved to administration roles and served as assistant principal at a Rockford elementary school for three years before coming to St. Anne.

“I had a great mentor” at that Rockford school, Bilharz said.

The principal there taught Bilharz a lot “about communication and making sure that you’re visible to everybody. You don’t just sit behind the desk...People first, paperwork second.”

To the teachers at St. Anne, that’s what stands out the most about Bilharz.

“She volunteers her own time, like she’s in her office sometimes, but most of the time, she’s with the students,” kindergarten teacher Sydney Ybarra told Shaw Local.

First grade teacher Beatrice Kremske said on top of principal, Bilharz is often a substitute teacher and the kids sometimes call her the “lunch lady” as she’s usually found in the cafeteria with students during her lunch hour.

“There’s nothing she would ask us to do that she doesn’t already do,” second grade teacher Sarah Rowland said.

“Since Talarie has been here at the school, she has taken full leadership of driving improvements,” Ybarra said, listing examples such as providing more time for student interventions, starting new fundraisers, finding grants that led to the purchase of new materials for STEM classes and researching learning tools for teachers to implement in their classrooms.

During that time, the school has also steadily increased enrollment and grown from grades prekindergarten through fifth to seventh and students have thrived academically, specifically in math, Bilharz said.

A big focus is placed on a well-rounded education; students go on field trips ranging in variety from the ballet to Chicago’s architecture tour, and participate in running school fundraisers and other community outreach efforts, Bilharz said.

“This is a very special little school,” Bilharz said, adding that her own children were able to transfer there from public school when she got hired and “they just have thrived with this wonderful community that we have here.”

The six other award finalists are Angie Codron of Normal West High School in Normal, Fabian Daniels of the Annie Jo Gordon Community Learning Center in Peoria, Aliaa Ibrahim of Rutledge Hall in Lincolnwood, and, in Chicago, JW Kuebler of CICS Irving Park School, Shaka Rawls of Leo High School and Nicole Spicer of Bronzeville Classical Elementary School, according to goldenapple.org.