Shiloh Park Middle School held a career exploration event on March 13 in the library and gymnasium, where students presented projects showing how their classroom learning connects to future careers. The event was attended by families, community members, Superintendent Dr. Lawson, and members of the Board of Education, who engaged with students and local industry professionals.
The event aimed to help students see the relevance of their education to real-world opportunities. By connecting academic subjects to possible career paths, organizers hoped to inspire students as they consider their futures.
Zion Elementary School District 6 serves Lake County and includes Beulah Park Elementary School, East Elementary School, Elmwood Elementary School, Lakeview School, Shiloh Park Elementary School, West Elementary School, and Zion Central Middle School according to the Illinois Report Card. The district enrolled 2,483 students in the 2019-2020 school year and provides education from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade in Zion and Lake County according to the Illinois Report Card.
The district employs 164 teachers with an average salary of $58,629 before pension contributions; 83.3 percent are women and 16.7 percent are men. There were no teachers with more than ten absences in a school year according to the Illinois State Board of Education. Demographically, Zion Elementary School District 6 is composed of 4.9 percent White students, 36.6 percent Black students, 50.9 percent Hispanic students, and 0.2 percent Asian students according to the ISBE.
In terms of finances and attendance rates, Zion Elementary spent $27,927 per student in 2020 for a total expenditure of $69,342,294 according to the Illinois Report Card. The district had a chronic truancy rate of 7.2 percent during the same period—lower than the statewide average of 9.6 percent—with “chronically truant” defined as missing five percent or more of mandated school days without valid excuse according to the Illinois State Board of Education.
Events like this career night reflect ongoing efforts within Zion Elementary School District 6 to connect educational experiences with practical outcomes for its diverse student body.
