Lake County Gazette

Westminster High School will hold a Homecoming Carnival on Saturday, September 27, from noon to 3 p.m. at the school. The event replaces the traditional Homecoming Parade and is intended for students and families throughout the district.

The carnival was proposed by the Westminster High School Student Council, led by Aiden Martin, with advisor Jennifer Barnhart’s support. Students wanted to maintain the community atmosphere of previous parades while introducing a new format.

“This is about bringing people together,” said Barnhart. “Our students are really excited to create something that connects the high school with our community in a fun and welcoming way.”

Student volunteers are constructing game booths, and cheerleaders along with athletes will run activities aimed at younger children. Attendees will receive free tickets for games, with more available for purchase during the event.

Aiden Martin explained, "This is a great alternative to the parade because it's going to be very interactive and is a great chance for the community to interact with students and see all their hard work pay off."

One feature will be a "splash tower," similar to a dunk tank, where both students and faculty can participate. Chartwell’s, the district’s food provider, will offer standard carnival foods; adults may buy food tickets for a small fee.

The carnival leads into other themed events including Spirit Week from September 29 through October 3, based on The Wizard of Oz. The schedule includes themed dress days such as pajamas on Monday ("There’s No Place Like Home"), dressing as Oz characters on Tuesday, honoring Dorothy's Kansas roots on Wednesday ("Farm Fresh"), witch-themed colors on Thursday ("Which witch?"), and class color day on Friday.

Other scheduled events include the Powder Puff Football game on Wednesday, October 1 at 6 p.m., followed by the Homecoming Football Game on Friday, October 3 and dance on Saturday, October 4.

Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 represents multiple schools in Lake County including elementary and middle schools as well as Waukegan High School. More information about these schools can be found at https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/.

According to data from the Illinois State Board of Education, District 60 has an enrollment that is predominantly Hispanic (79.5 percent), with Black (13.2 percent), White (3.2 percent), and Asian (1.3 percent) student populations. Teacher demographics show that there are over one thousand teachers in the district earning an average salary of $63,524; most are women (71.1 percent). There were no teachers reported with more than ten absences in one year according to recent records: https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/.

District spending per student reached $23,429 in 2020 with total expenditures amounting to $359 million: https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/.