The Collinsville Community Unit School District 10 encouraged families, staff, and students on Apr. 27 to share their experiences with the district’s schools by leaving reviews on GreatSchools.org. The district said that feedback from current members of the school community helps prospective families make informed decisions when choosing a school.
District officials said that many new families use online resources and reviews when deciding where to enroll their children. They emphasized that personal stories and insights from parents, guardians, staff, and older students provide valuable information beyond performance data.
“It’s for potential families: It’s a way to provide ‘insider’ knowledge to help other parents make informed decisions,” the district said in its announcement. “Real Perspectives: Future neighbors want to know about the school culture, the dedication of our teachers and the day-to-day environment that data points alone can’t show.” The message also stated, “By sharing your story, you help paint a complete picture of what it’s like to be a part of the Kahok family.”
The district includes several schools across Madison and St. Clair counties such as Caseyville Elementary School, Collinsville High School, Collinsville Middle School, Dorris Intermediate School, Jefferson Elementary School, John A. Renfro Elementary School, Kreitner Elementary School, Maryville Elementary School, Summit Elementary School, Twin Echo Elementary School and Webster Elementary School according to Illinois Report Card. In the 2019-2020 school year it served grades pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade with an enrollment of 6,169 students according to Illinois Report Card.
Data shows that Collinsville Community Unit School District 10 has a diverse student body—56 percent White; 14.1 percent Black; 24.1 percent Hispanic; and 0.5 percent Asian according to Illinois Report Card. There are currently no teachers in the district with more than ten absences per year among its total teaching staff of 418 who earn an average salary of $60,392 before pension contributions; women make up eighty-one percent of this group according to Illinois Report Card.
The district spent $16,872 per student in fiscal year 2020 for a total expenditure of $104 million according to Illinois Report Card. Chronic truancy rates in Collinsville Community Unit were reported at just over three percent—191 chronically truant students during the same period—well below statewide averages as reported by Illinois State Board of Education.
District leaders encouraged anyone connected with local schools—including former families or staff—to participate by submitting honest reviews online: “Thank you for helping us tell the true story of our schools!”
