Lake County Gazette

East Elementary School held its first Heritage Parade on Thursday as part of Hispanic Heritage Month. Students participated by marching through the school halls, displaying flags, costumes, and traditions from various Latin American countries.

The event is one of three parades planned at East Elementary to celebrate cultural diversity within the school community. The focus was on recognizing and honoring the cultures and histories of Latin America.

East Elementary is part of Zion Elementary School District 6, which serves several schools in Lake County including Beulah Park Elementary School, Elmwood Elementary School, Lakeview School, Shiloh Park Elementary School, West Elementary School, and Zion Central Middle School. More information about the district can be found at https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/.

According to data from the Illinois State Board of Education, Zion Elementary School District 6 employs 164 teachers with an average salary of $58,629 before pension contributions. Of these teachers, 83.3 percent are women and 16.7 percent are men. There are no teachers in the district with more than ten absences in a school year. Additional details are available at https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/.

Demographically, the district’s student population is composed of approximately 50.9 percent Hispanic students, 36.6 percent Black students, 4.9 percent White students, and 0.2 percent Asian students (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).

In terms of spending, Zion Elementary School District 6 allocated $27,927 per student in 2020 for a total expenditure of $69,342,294 (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).

The Heritage Parade at East Elementary reflects ongoing efforts within the district to recognize and celebrate cultural diversity among its students.