Dongola Unit School District 66 reported 60 suspensions just during the 2023-24 school year, according to the Illinois Report Card.
In total, there were 60 disciplinary actions recorded during the school year, representing a rate of approximately 31.4 incidents per 100 of the district’s enrolled students.
Among in-school suspension where a reason was specified, the only case was given for incident involving a dangerous weapon other than a firearm. Additionally, 58 cases were classified under “other reason” or left unspecified.
There were 51 disciplinary incidents involving male students. Another nine incidents involved female students.
All 60 suspensions issued in the district involved elementary or middle school students.
The only student suspended during the 2023-24 school year in Dongola Unit School District 66 was white, who made up 94.2% of the district’s student population.
Illinois has approved a 2025 budget that allocates $8.6 billion to K-12 education, a $350 million increase from the previous fiscal year—the minimum required under the state funding formula.
In 2024, Illinois registered a teacher retention rate of almost 90%. Yet, around 91% of superintendents reported having a ‘serious’ problem teacher shortage problem. In total, almost 4,100 teaching positions remained vacant by the end of the year.
“They’re putting a substitute in there, that’s somebody with a four-year degree that’s not in teaching. They’re using a retired teacher…or worse than that, they’re canceling the class, putting the kids in other classrooms, putting them in study hall, but those are strategies we have to use if there’s no qualified teacher,” said Beth Crider, regional superintendent of Peoria County Regional Office of Education #48.
| Type of Incident | In-School Suspension | Out-of-School Suspension |
|---|---|---|
| Alcohol | – | – |
| Violence with injury | – | – |
| Violence without injury | – | – |
| Drug offenses | – | – |
| Firearm | – | – |
| Other dangerous weapons | 1 | – |
| Tobacco | – | – |
| Other reason | 58 | 1 |
| Total | 59 | 1 |
| Duration | In-School Suspension | Out-of-School Suspension |
|---|---|---|
| One day or less | 33 | – |
| 1-2 days | 26 | – |
| 2-3 days | – | 1 |
| 3-4 days | – | – |
| 4-10 days | – | – |
| More than 10 days | – | – |
