Lake County Gazette

The District 120 School Board has received recognition from the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) for its effective governance behaviors. The Board was one of 42 school districts in Illinois to be honored with the School Board Governance Recognition, which highlights boards that demonstrate a commitment to acquiring the knowledge and skills needed for district governance.

This distinction is awarded on a two-year cycle. District 120 has earned it every two years since 2017.

“The Board of Education has done much over the last two years to deserve this recognition,” said District 120 Superintendent Corey Tafoya. “This is a dedicated group that focuses its attention on goals that lead to the best outcomes for students. Their organizational effectiveness has driven the improvements we’ve made at Mundelein High School.”

Since being recognized in 2023, the Board has worked toward broadening student achievement opportunities, meeting goals outlined in the D120 Strategic Plan, and beginning a major facilities project. After an initial building bonds referendum did not pass, board members engaged with parents, community groups, and local organizations to revise their proposal. They held nearly 60 public meetings and ran an information campaign before voters approved a $149.5 million bond issue in November 2024.

The Board also focused on academic goals by increasing access to advanced courses and expanding programs such as Advanced Placement and Career Pathways, which aim to guide students toward specific careers.

District 120 emphasizes student success across multiple areas. In both 2024 and 2025, Mundelein High School was named one of the Best Communities in Music Education by the National Association of Music Merchants Foundation.

IASB will formally recognize the Board at its annual conference in November and at division meetings in spring 2026. The IASB program recognizes local boards that follow good governance behaviors based on its Foundational Principles of Effective Governance.

Mundelein Consolidated High School District 120 represents Lake County and includes Mundelein Consolidated High School within its boundaries according to state data (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). The district employs about 130 teachers who earn an average salary of $91,610; approximately half are women and half are men; none had more than ten absences during a school year (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). Demographically, students are about 41 percent White, two percent Black, forty-five percent Hispanic, and six percent Asian (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). In fiscal year 2020, spending per student totaled $29,799 for an overall expenditure of more than $61 million (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).