Kirby School District 140 released on May 1 its latest weekly collection of candid photos showcasing student talents and activities. The district said these images are meant to capture the spirit of its community, highlighting the passion and achievements of students.
The release provides a look into daily life at Kirby School District 140, which includes Christa McAuliffe School, Fernway Park Elementary School, Helen Keller Elementary School, John A. Bannes Elementary School, Millennium Elementary School, Prairie View Middle School, and Virgil I. Grissom Middle School according to the Illinois Report Card.
According to the Illinois State Board of Education, Kirby School District 140 employs a total of 258 teachers with an average salary of $68,179 before pension contributions; women make up 90.3 percent of teachers while men account for 9.7 percent. The district reports that none of its teachers had more than ten absences in a school year according to state data. Demographically, the student population is composed of approximately 79.5 percent White students, with Black students making up 3.3 percent, Hispanic students at 8.2 percent, and Asian students at 4.4 percent as reported by ISBE.
In terms of spending and enrollment figures from recent years, Kirby spent $20,628 per student in the year 2020 for a total expenditure exceeding $74 million according to official records. During the same period (2019-2020), enrollment stood at about 3,606 students across grades pre-kindergarten through eighth grade in Tinley Park within Cook County according to state data.
The district also reported having only eighteen chronically truant students during the last measured school year—a rate of just half a percent—well below Illinois’ statewide average chronic truancy rate of nearly ten percent as defined by ISBE standards.
Each week’s collection aims to share moments that reflect “the spirit” and day-to-day experiences within Kirby’s schools.
