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About Us
About District 303
Community Unit School District 303 is a high-achieving, preK-12 system covering 57.4 square miles in the picturesque Fox River Valley, 40 miles west of Chicago. District 303 serves about 12,500 prek-12 students (September, 2016) from the City of St. Charles and portions of West Chicago, South Elgin, Wayne, Campton Hills, Wasco, Elburn and unincorporated Kane County.
In July 2011, Family Circle Magazine named St. Charles the Best Town for Families in the United States. Among the reasons why the City of St. Charles was given this honor is the involvement of District 303 in the community. District 303 works closely with the City of St. Charles, the St. Charles Park District, the St. Charles Public Library and other civic organizations to benefit the residents of the community.
HISTORY
When formal school districts were originally created in the late 1800s and early 1900s, they were usually drawn along township boundaries. However, legislation was passed in 1946-47 that encouraged school districts to consolidate.
Community Unit School District 303 was born in 1949 when, through a referendum, voters approved consolidating High School District 150, Elementary District 87 and Little Woods District 79.
People served by the Wasco two-year high school program voted in 1950 to consolidate with District 303 after another change in state law eliminated two-year high schools.
SCHOOLS
The district operates 10 elementary schools, one primary school, one intermediate school, three middle schools, and two high schools.
DISTRICT ACHIEVEMENT
District 303 schools perform very well on state standardized tests and other local assessments.
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District 303's composite ACT score for 2016 is 23.8 compared to a state average of 20.8 and the national average of 21.0.
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Approximately 93% of the district's graduates go to college.
Three District 303 schools have been honored by the U.S. Department of Education by being named Blue Ribbon Schools. St. Charles High School (now St. Charles East) was named a Blue Ribbon School in 1996 while Haines Middle School was selected in 2006. St. Charles North High School earned Blue Ribbon designation in 2010 and was the only Illinois high school earning the award that year. The award recognizes excellence in teaching and instruction, student achievement, leadership and parent involvement.
Both St. Charles East and St. Charles North High Schools appear in the Top 50 of the 2016 U.S. News Rankings of public high schools in Illinois. This is the fifth consecutive year both St. Charles North and St. Charles East have ranked in the Top 50 in Illinois according to the U.S. News Best High School Rankings. Among all Illinois public high schools, St. Charles North ranks 25th and St. Charles East ranks 47th in the 2016 rankings.
Among high schools located in either Kane or DuPage County, North H.S. is ranked 2nd and East H.S. is ranked 9th. Both St. Charles East and St. Charles North High Schools have been named GRAMMY Signature Schools for their outstanding music programs.
While these rankings are rightfully attributed to our high schools, the building blocks of student success at the high school level are put in place at our elementary and middle schools.
CURRICULUM/EDUCATION
District 303's educational program is characterized by a tradition of recognized academic achievement, talented faculty, many highly successful championship level athletic teams and award winning fine arts programs. Guided by the District 303 Vision Statement and Goals, and led by the Department of Instruction, District 303 staff is actively involved in curriculum renewal and redesign. Many staff members and instructional teams have been recognized at the state and national levels for successful and innovative programs.
All staff members benefit from a variety of continuing education courses offered through the district's own university-caliber professional development program. Currently, 129 District 303 teachers hold National Board certification, the highest level of certification available to educators.
All staff members benefit from a variety of continuing education courses offered through the district's own university-caliber professional development program. Currently, 129 District 303 teachers hold National Board certification, the highest level of certification available to educators.
FINANCES
District 303's fiscal year 2016-2017 budget is $194.3 million for revenues, and $193.4 million for expenditures.
STAFF
District 303 employs about 1,800 full and part time employees for 2015-16. Staff members are represented by three professional associations -- the St. Charles Education Association (representing certificated staff); the St. Charles Transportation and Maintenance Association; and the St. Charles Educational Support Professionals Association.
TEACHER PROFILE
The average teacher salary in 2016-2017 is $63,500 (state average of $63,450).* About 65 percent of District 303 teachers hold Master's Degrees or more.
*information from the 2016 Illinois State Report Card
COMMUNITY PROFILE
Community life in the area of District 303 is enhanced by the presence of great schools and 54 park sites with settings for tennis, swimming, walking, running, bicycling, boating, canoeing, picnicking, soccer, baseball, softball, football, and more.
There are four golf courses within the community and more than a dozen more in the adjacent towns. The community is also home to the Q Center, DuKane Corp., Pheasant Run Resort-Convention Center, Armour-Swift-Eckrich, Coca-Cola Bottling, Omron, Wallace Computer Systems, Bison Gear, and the historic Baker Hotel.
Numerous higher education opportunities exist right at District 303's doorstep:
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Aurora University
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DePaul University
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Elgin Community College
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Loyola University
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National-Louis University
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North Central College
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Northern Illinois University
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Northwestern University
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Roosevelt University
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University of Chicago
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University of Illinois at Chicago
District 303's closeness to Chicago affords its residents easy access to all the advantages of living in the metropolitan area. The cultural, sport, shopping and scenic attractions of Chicago are all within an hour of our community.
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