Woodland Community Consolidated School District 50 announced on Apr. 23 that it will host a districtwide Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebration on May 2 at Woodland Middle School. The event is scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., and all families are invited to attend.
The celebration aims to honor the cultures, traditions, and contributions of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities within the district. Activities will include poetry readings, dancing, musical performances by students, as well as appearances by groups such as I-RADHA (Indian Rhythms, Arts & Dances Heritage Academy), Aloha Chicago, Dancenter North, and the Filipino American Student Association at Warren High School. Traditional Filipino food samples, crafts for children, informational tables with community organizations, and additional displays are also planned.
The school district represents Lake County through four schools: Woodland Elementary School, Woodland Intermediate School, Woodland Middle School, and Woodland Primary School according to the Illinois Report Card. The district enrolled 5,279 students in the 2019-2020 school year and serves grades pre-kindergarten through eighth grade in Gurnee and Lake County according to the Illinois Report Card.
Demographically, Woodland Community Consolidated School District 50 consists of approximately 39.6 percent White students, 9 percent Black students, 33.4 percent Hispanic students, and 11.4 percent Asian students according to the ISBE. The teaching staff includes a total of 399 teachers with an average salary of $69,342 before pension contributions; about four out of five teachers are women according to state data.
Financially in fiscal year 2020 the district spent $23,682 per student for a total expenditure of $125 million as reported by state records. In terms of attendance during that same period there were only sixty-three chronically truant students—a rate significantly lower than statewide averages—where chronic truancy is defined as missing five percent or more school days without valid excuse as noted by ISBE data.
The upcoming heritage month event reflects both the diversity within District 50’s student body and ongoing efforts to celebrate different cultural backgrounds represented throughout its schools.
