Lake County Gazette

Learning continues beyond regular school hours for students at the Coal City Early Childhood Center. One student, Huxtin Owensby, regularly follows Mr. Johnson, known as “Trashman Travis,” during his rounds in the first grade wing. Through this interaction, Huxtin has learned tasks such as breaking down boxes and understanding where supplies are stored. He has even had the opportunity to greet Mr. Johnson’s wife via Facetime.

“This type of relationship is exactly what makes the Early Childhood Center the most special place.”

The Coal City Early Childhood Center is part of Coal City Community Unit School District 1, which serves Grundy and Will counties and includes several schools: Coal City Elementary School, Coal City High School, Coal City Intermediate School, and Coal City Middle School (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).

Data from the Illinois State Board of Education shows that the district employs 153 teachers with an average salary of $69,297 before pension contributions; women make up 77.9 percent of staff while men account for 22.1 percent. No teachers in the district have recorded more than ten absences in a year (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).

Demographically, 86.9 percent of students in the district are White, with smaller percentages identifying as Hispanic (9.6 percent), Black (0.6 percent), or Asian (0.6 percent) (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). In terms of spending, the district reported expenditures totaling $47 million in 2020, averaging $21,619 per student (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).