Pekin Daily Times
Jennifer Lindsay, principal of Rogers Elementary School in North Pekin, has been named the 2021 Illinois Elementary School Principal of the Year by the Illinois Principals Association.
“I’ve known Jennifer for a long time,” said Brian Schwartz, IPA’s deputy executive director. “She’s very involved with our association; she always puts kids first. She is, in my opinion, a principal’s principal.”
The Elementary School Principal of the Year award recognizes principals who have demonstrated a positive impact on students and on education. Criteria for nominees included advocacy for children, staff and student morale, collaboration with teachers and staff, implementation of a school’s goals and objectives, and community engagement.
Pekin Daily Times
North Pekin Marquette Heights School District 102 is considering the closure of Rogers Elementary School in Marquette Heights for the 2021-2022 academic year.
“The declining enrollment and the threat of an impending financial crisis at the state level has forced the (District 102 School Board) to take a look at the current configuration of its buildings, and to engage in proactive discussion about decisions (for) the district s future,” said District 102 Superintendent Byron Sondgeroth.
Sondgeroth added that the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to negatively impact Illinois’ budget for the next several years. As a result, schools should plan for the state’s fiscal issues to negatively impact school funding. He also noted that the district’s enrollment for kindergarten through eighth-grade students has decreased from 622 in fiscal year 2010 to 397 in fiscal year 2021.