Lake County Gazette

Students and families gathered at schools across District 45 on August 13 to begin the 2025-26 academic year. Teachers, staff, and building leaders were present to welcome everyone back.

At Jefferson Middle School, eighth grader Michael Jones described his first day experience. “So far, I really liked ELA,” he said. “The teacher was very nice and I have a bunch of my friends in the class.” Jones added that his hope for the new school year is “to have my best year ever, and to make new friends.”

District 45 serves several schools in DuPage County, including Ardmore Elementary School, Jackson Middle School, Jefferson Middle School, North Elementary School, Schafer Elementary School, Stevenson School, Westmore Elementary School, and York Center Elementary School. More details about the district can be found at https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/.

According to data from the Illinois State Board of Education, Villa Park School District 45 employs 224 teachers with an average salary of $74,159 before pension contributions. The teaching staff is composed of 82.8 percent women and 17.2 percent men. No teachers in the district had more than ten absences during a school year (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).

The student population in Villa Park School District 45 is diverse: it is comprised of approximately 43.4 percent White students, 7.8 percent Black students, 35.4 percent Hispanic students, and 8.2 percent Asian students (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).

In terms of finances, the district spent $23,216 per student in 2020 for a total expenditure of $76,753,683 (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).

To all District 45 students, families and staff: Here’s to a new school year filled with learning, discovery and hope. Here’s to building friendships, sharing laughter and creating lasting memories. Here’s to growing a community where every student is responsible, resilient and ready to excel. Happy first day of school!