Christopher T. Spencer Superintendent | Coal City Community Unit School District 1
Christopher T. Spencer Superintendent | Coal City Community Unit School District 1
Terrance Talley, a speaker and author known for his outreach to students, visited Coal City High School on Thursday morning. He addressed the student body with a message centered on perseverance and support.
“Don’t give up.” That was the message shared with Coal City High School students Thursday morning by speaker and author Terrance Talley, whose inspiring words have reached more than 20,000 students nationwide.
Talley’s presentation included energetic music and dancing. He encouraged students to recognize their ability to make an impact. Using examples from his own life, he discussed some of the difficulties teenagers face today and told them they are not alone.
His message was clear—students are seen and cared for—and when difficult times come, don’t give up—because someone will always be there to stand with them.
Talley also spoke at Coal City Middle School during his visit, meeting with sixth through eighth grade students.
Coal City High School is part of the Coal City Community Unit School District 1, which serves Grundy and Will counties in Illinois. The district includes several schools: Coal City Early Childhood Center, Coal City Elementary School, Coal City Intermediate School, Coal City Middle School, and Coal City High School. More information about the district can be found at https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/.
According to data from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), the district employs 153 teachers who earn an average salary of $69,297 before pension contributions; most teachers are women. ISBE reports that none of these teachers had more than ten absences in a school year. Demographically, the student population is primarily White (86.9 percent), with smaller percentages identifying as Hispanic (9.6 percent), Black (0.6 percent), or Asian (0.6 percent). In 2020, spending per student totaled $21,619 for an overall expenditure of $47 million by the district (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).
Terrence Talley Visit Speaker and author Terrence Talley addressed students at CCHS on Aug. 21. The presentation had the staff signing and dancing.
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