Each year, Community High School District 117 nominates staff members for the Lake County Educator of the Year award. The program, now in its fifth year, recognizes teachers, administrators, and support staff who contribute to schools and communities.
For 2026, the district announced its nominees: Marta Castaneda for Educational Service Personnel; Megan Garcia as Classroom Diverse Learner Teacher; Jake Mitchell as Early Career Educator; Andrew Seketa as School Administrator; Taylor Travers as Student Support Personnel; and Whitney Walsh as Classroom High School Teacher.
“Be on the lookout for an article later this spring to learn more about each of these amazing nominees!” stated the district.
Community High School District 117 serves Lake County and includes Antioch Community High School and Lakes Community High School. More information about the district can be found at https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/.
According to data from the Illinois State Board of Education, CHSD 117 has a teaching staff of 178 with an average salary of $63,920 before pension contributions. The workforce is comprised of approximately 57.6 percent women and 42.4 percent men. No teachers in the district had more than ten absences during a school year.
The student population is predominantly White (78 percent), with Hispanic students making up 12.1 percent, Asian students 3.2 percent, and Black students 3.1 percent. In terms of financials, CHSD 117 spent $29,553 per student in 2020, totaling $77,872,708.
During the 2019-2020 school year, enrollment was reported at 2,635 students across grades nine through twelve in Lake Villa and Lake County.
Chronic truancy rates in CHSD 117 were reported at 4.6 percent in the same period—significantly below the statewide average of 9.6 percent—with “chronically truant” defined by missing five percent or more of required school days without a valid excuse.
