Education

Students were placed in “a hold” and directed to stay in their classrooms at Yorkville Middle School Thursday as an emergency response team attended to a medical emergency in the school.

Schools in Joliet and Will County are set to receive over $63,000 in library funding through Illinois' annual School District Library Grant Program.

Woodland School District 50 is hiring and hosting a career fair on April 26.

Camp Invention, a nationally recognized, nonprofit summer enrichment program, is coming to Matthews Middle School the week of July 7-11.

The free after-school program is held at Sterling Township’s Elevate Youth Center, 505 W. Lynn Blvd.

Concerns over rising food prices and food security have sparked a strong interest in home gardening. Community gardens sold out spaces early this year.

An Ottawa native with Grammy Award-winning music credits will return to his local roots as a guest performer in two of the three Illinois Valley Community College ensemble concerts next week.

UPDATE: Classes were canceled today for Bourbonnais Elementary District students following the theft of the catalytic converters from the buses.

Lockport Township High School drafting and design students took home a record number of trophies from the Illinois Design Educators Association State Competition, with five championships.

The Illinois Valley Community College Board welcomed members elected in the April 1 election on Tuesday, canvassed the election results and named officers during an organizational meeting.

St. Anne’s students, staff and parishioners gathered at the church Wednesday, April, 23, 2025, to pray for recently deceased Pope Francis.

Two fresh faces were sworn-in as Batavia School District 101 board members, in a special session also involving electing the board president, vice president, and secretary.

A new three-year collective bargaining agreement has been reached between the Batavia School District 101 and the Batavia Educational Support Professional Association (BESPA), including wage increases and expanded training.

Minooka Community High School is hosting groundbreakings at both 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. Saturday, April 26 at its Central Campus, 201 S. Wabena Ave., first on the building's south side for the fieldhouse and then on the west side for the Career and Technical Education addition.

The College and Trade Expo will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday in the main gym of Oswego High School, 4250 Route 71, Oswego.

This free event is designed to assist students and families in completing their FAFSA application, a critical step in securing financial aid for college, including grants, scholarships, and federal student loans.

Illinois Valley Community College’s agriculture department will host its Spring Open House from 9 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 29, at the Ag Education Center. 

Public schools in Illinois could be one step closer to adopting a statewide cellphone policy that bans the use of mobile devices during classroom instruction time. What do DeKalb and Sycamore school leaders think of the proposal?

The Grundy Area Vocational Center (GAVC) is set to receive over $4 million in renovations pending the approval of the project from Morris, Coal City, Gardner and Minooka high schools, along with its own board.

Marquette Academy Elementary in Ottawa announced its honor roll for the third quarter of the 2024-2025 school year.

Illinois Valley Community College’s Truck Driver Training Program is celebrating its 25th anniversary this week with an open house that will showcase two just-installed driving simulators, as well as its main-campus headquarters and truck fleet. 

Due to a threatening message directed at Tri-Point schools, classes were cancelled today at the district’s three schools.

The school will receive funds to replace its existing desks with 12 new whiteboard tables for teaching and necessary supplies, including markers and erasers.

Coal City High School has announced the members of its Prom Court for the 2025 Prom on Saturday, April 26.

Students in Ryan Deets' forensics science class at Dixon High School set fire to model homes Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in order to learn about arson patterns.

For international student Zixuan “Maggie” Yang, finding an American college that welcomed her with open arms was as critical as finding one that opened the world to her. At Illinois Valley Community College, she found the real human connection she was seeking.

With all ballots counted, the Batavia School District 101 is set to swear-in two new board members while welcoming back two familiar faces. The updated voting totals include all mail-in ballots.

Seven Minooka Community High School students taking classes at the Grundy Area Vocational Center were presented with Director Awards for their outstanding performances in class.

After a fundraiser was started to pay off unpaid student lunch fees at Dixon Public Schools, administrators found it would be too costly to enroll in a federally assisted program that provides free meals to all students.

Parking restrictions in Yorkville outside Grande Reserve Elementary are designed to mitigate safety concerns raised by teachers and parents of traffic backing up along the street with schoolchildren darting between cars.

Morris Community High School is moving forward with plans for an addition after voters said "yes" to a $67 million referendum that allows the district to sell bonds to build a brand new, two-story addition.

The Sycamore Education Foundation recently named Virginia Sherrod, Wright B. George, and Chad McGehee as the recipients of the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award.

The Kankakee School Board voted Monday to extend Superintendent Teresa Lance's contract by one year and give her additional time to move to the area. She will also receive a 4% salary increase next year.

Superintendent Robert Schiffbauer shares information on Minooka Community High School's $82 million expansion to add both a fieldhouse and a Career and Technical Education building.

Zoey Near plans to attend Michigan Technological University to major in aerospace engineering.

The Dixon School Board on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, approved three bids for new flooring and ceiling tiles in the gym and a playground.

Minooka Community High School will celebrate its graduating seniors with its graduation ceremony at 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 18 in the Central Campus athletic stadium.

The Ottawa High School music program is among the best in the state.

The DeKalb School District 428 school board this week approved an update to superintendent Minerva Garcia-Sanchez’s employment contract, which now includes 278 additional sick days, district documents show.

Resignations accepted April 16, 2025, include a Dixon High School principal's secretary and a high school choir teacher.

The resolution approved Wednesday also pushes for predictable funding for public education.

About 200 students who completed degrees or certificates are expected to participate in the Illinois Valley Community College 59th annual commencement ceremony at noon on Saturday, May 17, in the gymnasium.  

To ensure the facilities expansion reflects the community’s desires, Yorkville 115 is hosting a series of public sessions to explore proposals designed in committee.

The Illinois Valley Community College Board of Trustees launched a multimillion-dollar renovation project to improve lab and testing areas on campus. 

Registration opened for the 23rd annual Carus summer science camp – a free, weeklong program designed to spark curiosity and inspire young minds through hands-on STEM learning.

The Illinois Valley Community College Board of Trustees will host its organizational meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 22, in CTC 206.  

Voters in Kendall County this election determined who will make the important decisions regarding their communities, schools, townships, fire departments, parks and libraries. See the results here.

DuPage County offers college and occupational training scholarships for low-income individuals with high academic potential.

Lemont High School senior Matthew Bechtlofft earned his first state championship in the graphic design competition at the Future Business Leaders of America State Leadership Conference

District superintendent Matt Zediker said the district does not have any current estimates on the number of students who will be impacted.