Education and Schools

Illinois lawmakers have allowed the Invest in Kids program to expire. It enables donors to get tax credits for funding private school scholarships.

Some District 87 and Unit 5 schools and other community organizations were disrupted Wednesday by a swatting incident.

Unit 5 Superintendent Kristen Weikle said it's high time for a refresh of the school district's strategic plan. The current plan came out in 2016, and Unit 5 is in the middle of updating the guide.

Suspensions at Unit 5 and District 87 junior highs have been rising for years, with three of the five schools hitting a high last school year.

Lab Schools director Anthony Jones says said one way to boost diversity is better communication with potential students during the application period early in the year.

With no centralized data, there's no way to definitively know how many families are homeschooling in Illinois. Anecdotally, Bloomington-Normal homeschool advocates say the numbers are up after the COVID-19 pandemic. But will they stay up?

Bloomington-Normal leaders are emphasizing the need for more broadband connectivity in underserved and rural areas.

Data from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) show Unit 5 tax rates are lower than average among peer districts in total property tax rate. That also would be true if rates that would go into effect after a successful referendum are compared to the most current data available statewide.

District 87 schools in Bloomington want to expand early childhood education, but there are some hoops to jump through to get a new facility.

WGLT’s Lauren Warnecke visits the WELL Summit, an annual gathering for Illinois women in educational leadership. Hundreds of women from across the state heard featured speakers Lauren Sisler and Cheryl Watkins, with a panel discussion and breakout sessions aimed at building comradery among women in a male-dominated part of the education sector.