Lake County Gazette

State, national, and world champion students from Zion Elementary School District 6 were recognized at the August Board of Education meeting. Coach Laura Spaeth joined the honored students, all of whom have achieved state and national titles. Three students earned gold medals at the World Championships in Turin, Italy, as part of the Razzle Dazzles Baton Corps.

The group’s journey began with the Elmwood & West Baton & Pom Team, where they developed their skills and teamwork before advancing to championship competitions.

Zion Elementary School District 6 includes several schools in Lake County: Beulah Park Elementary School, East Elementary School, Elmwood Elementary School, Lakeview School, Shiloh Park Elementary School, West Elementary School, and Zion Central Middle School. More information about these schools can be found on the Illinois Report Card website: https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/

According to data from the Illinois State Board of Education, the district employs 164 teachers with an average salary of $58,629 before pension contributions. The teaching staff is composed of 83.3 percent women and 16.7 percent men; no teacher in the district has more than ten absences in a school year. Additional details are available here: https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/

Demographically, Zion Elementary School District 6 is made up of 4.9 percent White students, 36.6 percent Black students, 50.9 percent Hispanic students, and 0.2 percent Asian students (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).

In terms of spending, the district allocated $27,927 per student in 2020 for a total expenditure of $69,342,294 (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).

Coach Laura Spaeth said: “All of the students pictured are state and national champions, with three earning gold at the World Championships in Turin, Italy.”

“Their journey began in the Elmwood & West Baton & Pom Team,” Spaeth continued,“where they developed the talent, dedication, and teamwork that carried them to championship success.”