Bill imposing one-year moratorium for online charter schools heads to Quinn for signature

A yearlong moratorium on new online charter schools has passed the Illinois Senate and now goes to Gov. Pat Quinn for his signature. Bill sponsor state Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia, D-Aurora, said Wednesday that she and other interested parties, including Illinois Superintendent of Schools Christopher …

Chinese language classes expanding in Naperville schools

It’s Thursday morning at Neuqua Valley High School, and Chinese teacher Sarah Bien is explaining the rules to a game called “Tortoise” – or “Wugui” to her students.

Vocabulary words pop up on the SMART Board, and teams of students are given various tasks — …

School districts in proposed virtual charter to get own appeals hearings

CHICAGO — A state commission overseeing the appeals process for a proposed virtual charter school that was denied by 18 western suburban Chicago districts voted Wednesday to give each of those districts their own public hearing, after district representatives said consolidating their hearings would be …

D203 talks budget, Edward tax refund

The Naperville 203 School District sat its new board last Monday, and one of the new board’s first tasks will be to approve a budget while at the same time giving back more than $2.2 million in tax receipts. In a memo presented to the …

Naperville high school Battle of the Bands is May 17

The public is invited to cheer on the top high school student rock bands in the Naperville Park District Youth Ambassadors’ tenth annual Battle of the Bands contest. The event is free and will take place from 5-8 p.m. May 17 at the Community Concert …

Yes, this is rocket science

Students from two local high schools have high expectations as they take part in the nation’s largest student rocket contest. Rocketry club members from Neuqua Valley and Oswego East were named among the top 100 finalists in the Team America Rocketry Challenge set for May …

Mom led mission to save soccer for D204 kids

When Aurora resident Christie Kruchten learned that Indian Prairie School District 04 was going to cut the middle school level soccer program last spring, she quickly contacted school officials. Kruchten set up a facebook page, mobilized parents and began looking for a solution.

Area schools presenting spring musicals

A number of local high schools are presenting their spring theather productions. Here are some: Metea Valley:  ‘Anything Goes’ Metea Valley students take audiences on an entertaining musical journey when they present “Anything Goes” this weekend at the Aurora high school. “I chose ‘Anything Goes’ …

In wake of new federal guidelines, schools try to get creative to get kids to eat their vegetables

Spinach. More bitter than carrots, with less crunch than romaine lettuce, the vegetable’s only ally is an 84-year-old pipe-smoking Sailor Man who has long lost his cultural cache with kids. It’s no surprise that the leafy green, freshly arrived at Rollins Elementary School in Aurora …

Indian Prairie considers program cuts, fee hikes

Indian Prairie School District 204 is looking at a variety of cuts to make ends meet, thanks to proposed reductions in funding from Sprinfield. “This isn’t an austerity process because our budget is in pretty good shape,” Assistant Superintendent for Business Jay Strang said about …

Metea students hear about dangers of DUI

Seniors at Metea Valley High School received a sobering lesson during the “Under the Influence” safety program held at the Aurora campus on Tuesday. The program, in its second year, allows students to see first-hand what can happen when people drink and drive. “We feel …

East Aurora, Naperville District 203 vote down virtual charter

Four more school boards unanimously voted down a proposed Fox Valley virtual charter school Monday night: those at East Aurora, Naperville 203, Plainfield and Burlington Central 301. So far 16 of the 18 districts included in the proposal have unanimously denied the charter, including West …

Chicago Wolves’ Guillaume Desbiens speaks French with Waubonsie students

Chicago Wolves right winger Guillaume Desbiens demonstrated his off-ice talents in January when he paid a visit to Waubonsie Valley High School. The 27-year-old native of Quebec met with more than 200 students enrolled in French classes to help them sharpen their foreign language skills.

D202 comes  to agreement with Edward on tax payments

Plainfield School District 202 will pay Naperville-based Edward Hospital about $750,000 over the next three years rather than in one lump sum through an agreement negotiated in response to a change in state tax law. The District 202 Board of Education approved the agreement at …

Waubonsie Special Warriors earn 2nd at state

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