Lake County Gazette

Diamond Lake School District 76 has been named a High-Reliability Schools Level 3 District by the Marzano High Reliability Schools (HRS) framework. The HRS framework is used as a strategic planning guide for schools and districts, encouraging them to implement practices that ensure all students acquire necessary content and skills for future success.

With this Level 3 Certification, Diamond Lake School District 76 has shown it provides a “Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum” for all students. This means that each student in the district receives equitable access to clearly defined essential content, with instruction designed to be consistent, focused, and aimed at maximizing learning and achievement.

District officials highlighted that this recognition makes Diamond Lake School District 76 the first in Illinois to earn this distinction at the district level. The district credits its staff and community for their commitment to teaching excellence.

“By achieving Level 3 Certification, District 76 has demonstrated that it provides a ‘Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum’ for all students. This means every student in District 76 has equitable access to clearly defined essential content, with instruction that is consistent, focused, and designed to maximize learning and achievement,” the district said in a statement.

“What makes this accomplishment even more remarkable is that District 76 is the first in the entire state of Illinois to earn this prestigious recognition at the district level. This distinction underscores the extraordinary commitment of our staff and community to providing the highest level of excellence in teaching and learning,” according to district officials.

Diamond Lake School District 76 will be recognized at the High Reliability Schools Summit scheduled for January 12-14, 2026, in San Antonio.

The school district serves Lake County through Fairhaven School, West Oak Intermediate School, and West Oak Middle School (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). According to recent data from the Illinois State Board of Education, Diamond Lake School District 76 employs 92 teachers who earn an average salary of $63,832 before pension contributions; most are women (91.4 percent), while men make up 8.6 percent of teachers. None of these teachers had more than ten absences during a school year (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).

Demographically, Diamond Lake School District 76 consists of approximately 20 percent White students, nearly three percent Black students, over two-thirds Hispanic students (68.2 percent), and about five percent Asian students (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). In terms of spending, the district allocated $27,115 per student in fiscal year 2020 with total expenditures reaching almost $25 million (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).