Granite City Community Unit School District 9 highlighted Jeremy Weaver, a fourth-grade teacher at Prather Elementary School, as part of its weekly staff spotlight on Apr. 17.
The staff spotlight aims to recognize employees who contribute positively to students’ experiences in the district. Weaver has worked in the district for 23 years and is known for his commitment to education and community involvement.
Weaver said he attended Granite City schools from kindergarten through twelfth grade and graduated from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville with a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. Reflecting on his time with the district, he said, “There are so many wonderful memories from my time in GCSD9. One is sharing the view with my students from the second floor at Niedringhaus Elementary. We had the privilege of seeing Wilson Park every day. Watching the leaves change color in autumn and the snow fall in winter are things I will never forget. Field trips with my students to canoe on the Mississippi River and attending a Blues game with my 1,000-minute readers are experiences I still cherish today.” Before becoming a teacher, Weaver delivered pizzas while attending college.
In his free time, Weaver enjoys traveling with family, hiking through mountains or relaxing on beaches, watching St. Louis Blues games, supporting his daughter Elizabeth at GCHS volleyball and soccer matches during the school year, and visiting his son Alex at Mizzou for football games alongside his wife Cheryl. When asked about teaching fourth grade, he said: “My favorite part of being a fourth-grade teacher is when I’m teaching a lesson, and I see the looks on the kids’ faces when they begin to understand a lesson. The daily interactions and seeing how eager my students are to learn get me through the day.” He also mentioned that hiking, biking, and exploring new trails are among his hobbies.
Weaver cited his grandfather as an inspiration: “The person I look up to most is my Grandpa Weaver. He made friends everywhere he went. He was quick with a joke, told hilarious stories about his hockey days working in the St. Louis Blues penalty box, and made everyone around him feel comfortable and loved.”
Granite City Community Unit School District 9 represents Madison County schools including Coolidge Junior High School; Frohardt Elementary School; Granite City High School; Grigsby Intermediate School; Maryville Elementary School; Mitchell Elementary School; Prather Elementary School; and Wilson Elementary School according to Illinois Report Card. The district enrolled 5,990 students during the 2019-2020 school year as a unit school district serving pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade according to Illinois Report Card.
According to the Illinois State Board of Education, there were 320 teachers earning an average salary of $67,898 before pension contributions within Granite City Community Unit School District 9; women comprised over three-quarters of teachers while men accounted for just under one-quarter; no teachers had more than ten absences per year during that period.
Demographically,the student population was reported as approximately two-thirds White (65 percent), nearly sixteen percent Black (16 percent), twelve percent Hispanic (12 percent), less than one percent Asian (1 percent). In terms of finances,the district spent $17,739 per student in 2020 totaling $106 million.
Chronic truancy remains an issue within Granite City Community Unit School District 9.In 2020 there were reportedly755 chronically truant students—defined by missing five percent or more of mandated school days without valid excuse—which represented almost thirteen percent of enrollment compared with just under ten percent statewide.
