Members of the Spanish Honor Society at Coal City High School are preparing for their annual fundraiser, offering Christmas Countdown calendars to support an educational trip. The group, led by Kim Sondgeroth, is raising money to attend a performance by the Hispanic Flamenco Ballet in Chicago scheduled for March.
The calendars contain 24 pieces of chocolate—one for each day leading up to Christmas—and are sold for $10 each. Each purchase also includes a packet of hot cocoa, a candy cane, and a holiday tag. The funds from this initiative will help cover costs associated with the upcoming trip.
Coal City High School is part of the Coal City Community Unit School District 1, which serves Grundy and Will counties and includes several schools such as Coal City Early Childhood Center, Coal City Elementary School, Coal City Intermediate School, and Coal City Middle School (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). According to data from the Illinois State Board of Education, the district employs 153 teachers who earn an average salary of $69,297; most are women (77.9 percent), while men make up 22.1 percent. Notably, no teachers have recorded more than ten absences in a school year (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).
The district’s student body is primarily White (86.9 percent), with Hispanic students making up nearly 10 percent (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). In 2020, spending per student was $21,619 with total expenditures reaching $47 million (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).
Kim Sondgeroth commented on the ongoing efforts: “Coal City High School’s Spanish Honor Society members…have been busy preparing the Christmas Countdown calendars they are selling as a fundraiser to support an upcoming educational trip.”
The event aims not only to raise necessary funds but also to encourage cultural learning among students.
