Superintendent Theresa Plascencia of Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 shared a spring break message to families and staff on March 20, wishing them a restful and enjoyable holiday period.
The message comes as students and staff prepare for a pause in the school year, offering an opportunity to recharge before returning to finish the academic year. In her letter, Plascencia said, “As we head into Spring Break, I want to take a moment to wish all of you a well-deserved pause from the busy pace of the school year. I hope the days ahead offer an opportunity to rest, spend time with loved ones, and enjoy whatever brings you happiness.” She added that everyone is expected back on Monday, March 30.
Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 serves Lake County and includes schools such as Andrew Cooke Magnet Elementary School, Carman-Buckner Elementary School, Clearview Elementary School, Daniel Webster Middle School, Early Learning Center, Glen Flora Elementary School, Glenwood Elementary School, Greenwood Elementary School, H.R. McCall Elementary School, Hyde Park Elementary School, Jack Benny Middle School, John S. Clark Elementary School, Little Fort Elementary School, Lyon Magnet Elementary School, Miguel Juarez Middle School, North Elementary School, Oakdale Elementary School, Robert E. Abbott Middle School, Thomas Jefferson Middle School, Washington Elementary School, Waukegan High School and Whittier Elementary School according to the Illinois Report Card.
The district enrolled 15,332 students in the 2019-2020 school year and serves grades pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade in Waukegan and Lake County according to the Illinois Report Card. The student body is made up of 3.2 percent White students, 13.2 percent Black students, 79.5 percent Hispanic students and 1.3 percent Asian students according to the ISBE.
Financially in 2020 the district spent $23,429 per student for a total expenditure of $359 million according to state data. The teaching staff consists of 1,014 teachers earning an average salary of $63,524 before pension contributions; women make up about 71 percent of teachers while men account for nearly 29 percent. There were no teachers with more than ten absences during a school year according to state records.
Chronic truancy remains an issue for the district: there were 3,220 chronically truant students enrolled in the district during the 2020 school year—a rate of about 21 percent—compared with a statewide average of just under ten percent as reported by ISBE. Chronically truant students are defined as those missing five percent or more of mandated school days without valid excuse.
Plascencia concluded her message by saying: “Wishing you a safe, relaxing and enjoyable Spring Break.”
