Lake County Gazette

Lake County, in partnership with the Lake County Forest Preserves, will hold a public event to discuss the Urban and Community Forestry Strategic Plan. The session aims to update residents on current progress and gather input about tree care, funding, and community support for future forestry initiatives.

The listening session is scheduled for Thursday, August 21, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Greenbelt Cultural Center in North Chicago. Spanish translation services will be available. Registration can be completed by scanning a QR code provided by organizers.

"This event also will be an opportunity to provide feedback that will help guide future decisions, programs and planting efforts," according to the announcement.

In related educational data, Lake County reported an average student-to-teacher ratio of 13-to-1 during the 2022-23 school year, with over 122,000 students enrolled across its schools and more than 9,300 full-time faculty members (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Home.aspx). Teacher absenteeism in Lake County schools was recorded at 30% for that period—lower than Illinois' state average of 35.6% (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Home.aspx).

Demographic information from local schools shows that Adlai E. Stevenson High School had the highest enrollment of white students at 2,065 and multiracial students at 140 among all county schools during the same year (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Home.aspx). Warren Township High School led in Pacific Islander student enrollment with 16 students (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Home.aspx), while Waukegan High School had the largest number of Hispanic students at 3,499 (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Home.aspx).

Residents interested in urban forestry or community engagement are encouraged to attend and participate in shaping future environmental policies.