The Collinsville Community Unit School District #10 Board of Education approved Christine Pavlinek on May 18 to become the next principal of Caseyville Elementary School beginning in July 2026.
Pavlinek will succeed current principal Chelsea Clark, who will take on the role of Pre-K coordinator for the district in the 2026-27 school year. The announcement is significant for families and staff at Caseyville Elementary as it marks a leadership transition with a familiar face returning to the district.
“We are excited to welcome Ms. Pavlinek back to the Kahok family. For the last two years, she has served as a principal in a neighboring district, prior to that she served in various roles in our district,” said Human Resources Director Kevin Robinson. “Ms. Pavlinek played an integral role in our district with our instructional coaching program and curriculum implementation, which is a major strength of hers,” Robinson said. “We are excited that she will be able to use her knowledge of our district and communities to build positive relationships with our students, staff members and families.”
Pavlinek grew up in Mattoon, Illinois, earned her bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University and her master’s degree from University of Phoenix. She taught for eleven years while her husband was serving in the United States Navy before returning to Illinois where she worked as a reading interventionist and instructional coach within Collinsville CUSD 10. Currently, she serves as principal at Bethalto East Primary School while pursuing a doctorate at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
“Currently, I am in my second year as the principal of Bethalto East Primary School, where I focus on early literacy, collaboration, and building strong systems of support for both students and staff,” said Pavlinek. “I am also pursuing a doctorate at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville to continue growing in my work as a school leader.” She added: “I value creating a positive and safe learning environment where students feel known, supported and confident in taking risks as learners… Collaboration is a key part of my philosophy.”
Superintendent Dr. Mark B. Skertich said: “We are excited to welcome Mrs. Pavlinek as the leader of Caseyville Elementary. She is student-centered, genuinely cares about her staff, and is committed to continuous growth socially and academically… Her strengths as an educator and as a person will complement the existing Caseyville staff and further enhance the educational experience our students receive.”
The Collinsville Community Unit School District 10 represents Madison and St. Clair counties; its schools include Caseyville Elementary among others such as Collinsville High School according to the Illinois State Board of Education. The district enrolled 6,169 students during the 2019-2020 school year across grades pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade according to the same source. The average teacher salary is $60,392; women make up eighty-one percent of teachers; there were no teachers with more than ten absences per year according to the Illinois State Board of Education.
Collinsville Community Unit School District 10 spent $16,872 per student totaling $104 million during fiscal year 2020 according to the same source. The demographic breakdown shows fifty-six percent White students; fourteen percent Black; twenty-four percent Hispanic; less than one percent Asian according to the ISBE. In addition there were one hundred ninety-one chronically truant students—about three percent—which remains below state averages according to ISBE data.
Looking ahead toward her new role at Caseyville Elementary next summer Pavlinek said: “I’m excited to be back and proud to be a Kahok again… Looking forward to a great year at Caseyville Elementary and all that we will accomplish together.”
