Mackinaw
EDUCATION
Morton superintendent to retire at the end of the school year, replaced by his assistant
MORTON, Ill. (WMBD) — Out with the old and in with the new, sort of. On Friday, Morton School District 709 announced Superintendent Craig Smock would be retiring at the end of this coming school year, to be replaced by Assistant Superintendent Joseph Sander, who has been in that job for three years.
Verizon stores giving away $3M worth of backpacks ahead of back-to-school season
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Verizon wireless stories in the Peoria area are giving away millions of dollars in backpacks away for free ahead of the back-to-school season. According to a press release from Round Room, LLC, participating Verizon stores in Pontiac, Chillicothe, Peoria and Washington are giving away $3 million worth of clear backpacks for free to students in an effort to relieve the financial burden on parents and caregivers before class starts.
Peoria Public Schools Board of Education fills two vacancies. Meet them here
Chanel Hargrave and Larry Ivory have been appointed to fill two vacancies on the Peoria Public School Board of Education. Hargrave is the supervisor of community connections with the Peoria Park District and Ivory is the President and CEO of the Illinois State Black Chamber of Commerce. When is the...
Peoria High to be among the first schools in Illinois playing girls flag football
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) — Peoria High is the oldest high school in Illinois but it will be one of the new kids on the block this fall. It will be among the first schools to field a girl’s flag football team competing in the Illinois High School Association’s newest sport. The IHSA is adding girls […]
Unit 5 board addresses elementary school capacity
Unit 5 is working to address disparities in how to fully utilize its facilities in the future. In a capacity study the school board reviewed earlier this year, it was established that while some schools are full or nearly full, others operate well below capacity. Carlock Elementary, for instance, has an especially light enrollment and has been targeted for potential closure in the past.
One Peoria event helps parents and their children prepare for new school year
PEORIA, Ill. – The new school year is around the corner, and a pair of state legislators are helping Peoria families get ready. State Representative Jehan Gordon-Booth and State Senator Dave Koehler hosted the One Peoria Back to School and Health Fair Wednesday at Glen Oak Park. Families received...
Bloomington-Normal high school students attend National ACT-SO competition in Las Vegas
BLOOMINGTON-NORMAL, Ill. (WMBD) — High school students from Bloomington-Normal visited Las Vegas, Nevada, for the 47th annual Afro-academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics competition. Longtime Chicago Tribune journalist, Vernon Jarrett, created the annual ACT-SO competition that is sponsored by the NAACP. High school students from across the nation compete...
East culinary student wins scholarship
Samantha Lopez, (Morton East class of 2024) was among students recently awarded scholarships from the Illinois Restaurant Association Education Foundation (IRAEF) to pursue post-secondary education programs in culinary or hospitality. 100 students, teachers, donors, and industry mentors turned out at Tunnel in Chicago on July 13 to celebrate 48 deserving...
Laboratory schools staffers are the latest group to organize at ISU
For the first time in nearly 170 years, staff at Illinois State University’s Laboratory Schools, have formally moved to unionize. The Lab Schools Association, a group of around 120 staffers from Thomas Metcalf [pre-K to 8th grade] and University High schools, filed a petition for representation with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board [IELRB] in late June.
District 52 announces upcoming tryouts, practice
Washington Middle School baseball tryouts will begin Monday, August 5, 2024, and continue August 6. Tryouts for grades 7-8 will be 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. behind Washington Middle School. Tryouts for sixth grade will be 12- 2 p.m. Students must have a current physical examination and a copy of their birth certificate on file in the WMS office before tryouts begin. Please do not bring a copy of the physical to the coach.
Jared Head graduates from St. Cloud State University
St. Cloud State University graduated more than 860 students during spring semester 2024. Among the graduates was Jared Head of Washington, Illinois. Head graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice studies. St. Cloud State University is Minnesota's second-largest university, with more than 10,000 students from our regional communities,...
Back to school event set for this weekend in Peoria
Students can get stocked up with school supplies at the annual Back to School Celebration this Saturday. Kids can also get haircuts, uniforms, and bookbags at the event. The event is hosted by Product of the Project. Antwaun Banks is the nonprofit's founder. "We want to make sure they have...
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