District 181 has announced that Walker School and Clarendon Hills Middle School have received the 2025 National Blue Ribbon School Award. This recognition marks the eleventh time a District 181 school has earned the award since 2009, and the district is the only one in Illinois with two schools receiving the honor this year. With this achievement, all nine schools in District 181 have now been recognized as National Blue Ribbon Schools.
Superintendent Dr. Hector Garcia, Walker School Principal Eric Chisausky, and Clarendon Hills Middle School Principal Dr. Levi Brown attended a celebration event in North Palos District 117 on October 10. The Governor of Illinois hosted the event and congratulated all schools in the state that earned the award. “The Governor personally congratulated the districts for their exceptional hard work,” according to the district.
The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognized both schools for high academic performance, particularly on state tests in reading (English language arts) and mathematics. To mark the occasion, District 181 released a video and plans building celebrations at both schools so students and staff can celebrate together.
Hinsdale Community Consolidated School District 181 includes Walker School, Clarendon Hills Middle School, and seven other schools serving DuPage and Cook counties. More information about the district’s schools is available at https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/. According to data from the Illinois State Board of Education, District 181 employs 282 teachers with an average salary of $94,227 before pension contributions; most are women, and no teacher has more than ten absences in a school year. The student population is nearly 70 percent White, with Asian, Hispanic, and Black students making up the remainder. The district spent $31,308 per student in 2020, totaling $117 million for that year. Additional details are available at https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/.
“Both Walker School and Clarendon Hills Middle School were acknowledged by the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program for their exemplary high performance in academics, specifically in state tests for reading (English language arts) and mathematics,” stated the district.
###
