A federal nutrition program, SNAP-Ed, will end this year after losing federal funding, affecting local families in Kankakee and Will counties who rely on free healthy eating education.

Patricia Glade turns leftover bread into donations for Illinois Valley Community College’s food pantry through her program “Crumbs for a Cause,” according to an IVCC news release.

To be eligible for the dean’s list, degree-seeking undergraduate students must earn a minimum semester grade-point average of 3.4 while taking at least 12 graded credits.

The Lee-Ogle-Whiteside Regional Spelling Bee will be Thursday, Feb. 19, at Dixon High School. Sponsors are the First National Bank in Amboy, Sauk Valley Media and Lee-Ogle-Whiteside Regional Office of Education.

Joliet Junior College will use the grant to fund summer science, technology, engineering, and math camps for students in grades 6-12.

Seventeen-year-old Diego Garcia-Barranco had never been outside the country, let alone flown in a plane, until last month. The DeKalb High School senior’s first flight took him to new heights during a school trip to perform in Prague, Czech Republic.

Kristin Wrobleski, a life skills teacher at John F. Kennedy Elementary School in Spring Valley, has been named the November Teacher of the Year winner.

Torrie Nelson of Sterling was named to the fall 2025 dean’s list at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais.

A new 6-round competition (instead of seven rounds) will be introduced at this year's Stupor Bowl trivia event that will be Saturday, Feb. 7, at Reagan Middle School, 620 Division St., Dixon.

The Kishwaukee College Foundation awarded $124,250 in program enhancement funds to Kishwaukee College departments for the 2025-2026 academic year.

The new boundaries mean students in several subdivisions in Plainfield School District 202 will attend a new high school starting in the 2026-2027 school year because of current and projected overcrowding at Plainfield North High School.

The Illinois Valley Community College student newspaper earned top honors at the Illinois Community College Journalism Association annual conference in November.

The Dixon School Board approved new hires, a change of status, and several coach appointments Wednesday, Dec. 17.

Along with the construction of two new school buildings, the $275 million would pay for additions to Yorkville High School.

The Morris Community High School Board is inviting community members, students and staff to submit suggestions for a new mascot.

A Dixon native now serving as an elementary principal in Polo will be Dixon Public Schools' next superintendent after current Superintendent Margo Empen retires in July 2026.

DeKalb School District 428 has agreed to buy more Chromebooks for incoming students headed for first, fifth and ninth grade, as well as replacement devices for staff.

Superintendent Jason Harper said Monday, Dec. 15, that the 2026-27 schedule underwent no major changes from the previous year. Aug. 10 will be the first day of the 2026-2027 school year.

Woodland Community Consolidated School District 50 is accepting letters of interest and applications to fill two vacancies on the Board of Education.

For all of those years of giving and sharing, Troy School District 30-C recently honored Robyn Apgar with its “Troy High-Five Award.”

Levi Waddle, a senior at Rochelle Township High School, was recently named the December Rochelle Rotary Club Student of the Month.

From Capitol News Illinois: Illinois Superintendent of Education Tony Sanders cautioned members of the State Board of Education on Wednesday not to get their hopes up for any big increase in K-12 school funding next year

The Rochelle Rotary Club recently announced its November Student of the Month: Ashley Villanueva of Rochelle Township High School.

At the Dec. 17 Plainfield School Board meeting, board members are set to vote on changes to the high school student attendance boundaries.

Logan Thome plans to attend Sauk Valley Community College for 2 years then transfer to a 4-year university.

The Bradley Elementary School District is asking for a tax levy of $13.5 million, an increase of 4.95%, for fiscal year 2025.

The Rochelle Township High School speech team hosted the RTHS Invitational on Saturday, Dec. 13. Rochelle earned fourth place.

The Daughters of the American Revolution Illini Chapter honored recipients of the DAR Good Citizen Award from area high schools on Dec. 4 at the Reddick Mansion, according to a DAR news release.

A DeKalb commission, tasked with advising the City Council on planning and zoning matters, has voted in support of a pair of measures to allow a special education day school in town.

Prepping for a Constitution test, 7th graders at St. Patrick Catholic School in St. Charles were given the unique experience of engaging and asking questions with Illinois State Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Rochford and Mayor Clint Hull, a retired judge and former prosecutor.

Staff and teachers, from kindergarten to Sycamore High School, have begun receiving AI video training sessions, according to district documents. District 427 officials hope to begin implementing AI into the classroom during the 2026-2027 school year.

The Miracle on Jeffery Street holiday concert and art show will showcase the diverse talents of Kankakee High School students on Wednesday.

A Wheaton middle school teacher shares memories from her trip to Costa Rica's cloud forest with other educators

Storytime is a 30-minute drop-in program each Thursday evening designed for families with preschool through early elementary-aged kids.

James Cocar is planning to work toward a dual major in mechanical engineering and saxophone performance.

Palmer College of Chiropractic has campuses in Davenport and Port Orange, Fla.

At the Dec. 9 Oswego Village Board meeting, trustees unanimously voted to approve a concept plan for the 161-unit apartment and townhouse development, located at 61 Franklin St. near the intersection of Washington Street and U.S. Route 71.

Here are the honor roll students at Immaculate Conception School in Morris.

A private therapeutic day school for students with special needs could relocate to DeKalb on North Sixth Street, according to a development proposal headed to the city for review this week.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the district started receiving federal relief grants that were used to give fifth through 12th grade students a take home device.

Oswego School District 308’s 13 elementary and two specialized schools will need about $1.3 million in life safety improvements over the next 10 years.

Coal City Superintendent Chris Spencer has a new contract after the school board approved it last Tuesday, and it pays him $183,327 with a 6% raise each year over the next five years.

The Kankakee School Board heard a report Monday on the District 111 curriculum audit completed by Curriculum Management Solutions, Inc.

Kishwaukee College nursing students were honored during a pinning ceremony on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025 at the college.

The Coal City Unit 1 Board of Education approved a $34,901,092 tax levy on Wednesday in anticipation of additional revenue related to the GE-Hitachi spent nuclear fuel property.

A Valley View District 365U apecial education paraprofessional, Jennifer Cooper, has been nominated by the state of Illinois for the prestigious RISE Award from the U.S. Department of Education.

Ongoing construction at Tilton Elementary School is on schedule as the district works to complete a $14.237 million renovation and expansion project that began this summer and will be completed in phases through summer 2026.

Illinois Valley Community College’s winter break begins next week with campus services operating through 4:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19.

David Tessmann of Sterling has been named to the 2025 summer trimester dean’s list at Palmer College of Chiropractic’s Main Campus in Davenport, Iowa.

Caleb Weekley of Byron recently completed the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Recognize, Respond, and Refer mental health support course. Weekley is studying music at UW-W.