Antioch Community High School announced on April 14 that it will hold its first Cultural Festival on Friday, April 24. The event is scheduled from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the new section of the school’s cafeteria and aims to celebrate the community’s culture through food and shared experiences.
According to organizers, the festival seeks to bring together students, families, and community members by collaborating with cultural clubs and local food vendors. The goal is “to connect and embrace diversity” within the school community. The event will take place just before the spring musical performance of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” which starts at 7:00 p.m.
Community High School District 117 represents Lake County, including both Antioch Community High School and Lakes Community High School according to Illinois Report Card. The district serves grades nine through twelve with a total enrollment of 2,635 students in the 2019-2020 school year according to Illinois Report Card.
The district has a diverse student population that is approximately 78 percent White, 3.1 percent Black, 12.1 percent Hispanic, and 3.2 percent Asian according to Illinois Report Card. There are also no teachers in District 117 with more than ten absences in a school year; out of its total staff of 178 teachers earning an average salary of $63,920 before pension contributions, about fifty-eight percent are women according to Illinois Report Card.
District spending per student was $29,553 in the year 2020 for a total expenditure of $77,872,708 according to Illinois Report Card. Chronic truancy rates were reported at about four-point-six percent for District 117 during that same period—lower than the statewide average—meaning that out of all enrolled students during that year there were one hundred twenty-one considered chronically truant according to Illinois Report Card.
The upcoming Cultural Festival reflects efforts within Antioch Community High School and District 117 as a whole toward celebrating diversity while engaging families across Lake County.
