PALATINE, IL —- The U.S. Secretary of Education was in Palatine to see how K-12 education was moving forward during the pandemic. Miguel Cardona says that students learn best in the classroom and there is more federal money available for schools to not only get kids back up to speed but ahead of where they were.

Cardona also recognized the 18 Blue Ribbon schools in Illinois.

Some local, southern Illinois schools named as National Blue Ribbon Schools were;

  • Centralia – Raccoon Consolidated School District 1, Raccoon Consolidated School District 1.
  • Okawville – Okawville Grade School, West Washington County Community School District 10.
  • Taylorville – Taylorville Jr High School, Taylorville Community Unit School District 3.