Lake County Gazette

Collinsville Community Unit School District 10 has provided an update regarding water quality and other district initiatives following a city advisory to filter tap water. On September 24, 2025, the City of Collinsville advised all residents to use filtered water due to concerns about PFAS contamination.

Superintendent Dr. Mark B. Skertich stated that since the announcement, the district has worked with JS Held to conduct water testing at each school building. A total of fifty-three samples were collected from drinking fountains and kitchen areas across all schools in the district. Of these, two locations showed PFAS levels slightly above the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) threshold of four parts per trillion.

"Although only two out of fifty-three samples returned levels of PFAS slightly above the Environmental Protection Agency’s guidelines, we believe it is important to take proactive measures.  The two affected fountains have already been replaced with filtered units, and we are taking additional steps to further safeguard the water consumed by our students and staff," said Dr. Skertich.

He added that maintenance staff will soon install retrofit filters on all drinking fountains and kitchen sinks used for meal preparation throughout district schools: "These filters will help ensure our water is safe for consumption, even if PFAS levels fluctuate or future regulations become more stringent."

Dr. Skertich also noted that these actions align with recommendations from both the City of Collinsville and EPA guidance as the city works toward updating its water treatment plant.

The Collinsville Community Unit School District 10 includes schools such as Caseyville Elementary School, Collinsville High School, Collinsville Middle School, Dorris Intermediate School, Jefferson Elementary School, John A. Renfro Elementary School, Kreitner Elementary School, Maryville Elementary School, Summit Elementary School, Twin Echo Elementary School, and Webster Elementary School. More information about these schools can be found at https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/.

In addition to addressing water safety concerns, Dr. Skertich highlighted ongoing community support efforts: "KAHOKstrong is hosting a Food Drive to support local families and the Collinsville Food Pantry during this time of increased need." Donation boxes are available at various locations within the district until November 21st.

Families needing assistance are encouraged to contact a school employee for access to resources or information about area organizations offering additional support.

The superintendent also announced a test of the district’s emergency alert notification system scheduled for Tuesday morning, November 11th: "Urgent alerts override all notification preferences, and are sent via text, voice, email and app notification." Families are reminded to keep their contact information current in Skyward.

Looking ahead to upcoming holidays affecting school schedules: there will be no classes on Veterans’ Day (November 11th) or during Thanksgiving Break (November 26th–28th).

According to state education data reported by the Illinois State Board of Education at https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/, Collinsville Community Unit School District 10 serves Madison and St. Clair counties with a student body that is 56 percent White, 14.1 percent Black, 24.1 percent Hispanic, and 0.5 percent Asian; it employs over four hundred teachers earning an average salary of $60,392; annual spending per student was $16,872 in 2020 for a total budget exceeding $104 million.