Families gathered in the Elmwood library on May 5 to mark the approaching end of the school year and reflect on recent successes. The event included tacos, conversations, and a visit from Superintendent Dr. Lawson, offering an opportunity for members of the school community to connect.
The gathering was well attended and highlighted the importance of celebrating accomplishments together as a school community. Zion Elementary School District 6 includes several schools in Lake County: Beulah Park Elementary School, East Elementary School, Elmwood Elementary School, Lakeview School, Shiloh Park Elementary School, West Elementary School, and Zion Central Middle School, according to the Illinois State Board of Education according to the Illinois State Board of Education.
Zion Elementary School District 6 serves students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade with an enrollment of 2,483 students during the 2019-2020 academic year. The district spent $27,927 per student in 2020 for a total expenditure of $69,342,294 according to the Illinois State Board of Education.
The teaching staff at Zion Elementary consists of 164 teachers earning an average salary of $58,629 before pension contributions; women make up 83.3 percent while men account for 16.7 percent. There were no teachers with more than ten absences in a single school year according to the Illinois State Board of Education.
The district’s student body is diverse: it is composed of approximately 4.9 percent White students, 36.6 percent Black students, 50.9 percent Hispanic students and about .2 percent Asian students according to the Illinois State Board of Education. In terms of attendance issues during the same period, there were reportedly179 chronically truant students—defined as those missing five percent or more days without valid excuse—which equates to a chronic truancy rate at Zion District schools that is lower than statewide averages according to the Illinois State Board of Education.
As families look back on their achievements this year and prepare for summer break ahead they do so within one public elementary district serving much of Zion and Lake County.
