East Aurora Public School District 131
East Aurora Public School District 131 (also known as Aurora Public Schools: East Side) is a public school district serving kindergarten through high school students in Aurora, Illinois. East Aurora School District 131 is considered the state's first public school district.
According to the 2012 Illinois State Report Card, the district had a total enrollment of 14,494 students.[1] There are 12 elementary schools, three middle schools, one magnet academy (grades three through eight), two early childhood centers and East Aurora High School, all within Aurora city limits. The superintendent of East Aurora School District 131 is Dr. Michael Popp.[2] The school board president is Annette Johnson.[3]
The district is bounded by the county line between DuPage County and Kane County to the east, the county line between Kendall County and Kane County to the south, the Fox River to the west and the border with the neighboring West Aurora and Batavia School Districts to the north.
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History
According to "The Educational History of Illinois", private subscription schools were taught by various teachers on the East Side starting in 1834. The first school in what would later become East Aurora School District 131 opened in 1836 at East Galena and Broadway. The school was subscription based. In 1839, a new school was built near Broadway and Claim Street.
East Aurora became a charter district on April 30, 1847, and was officially recognized by the state in 1851. The district became the first free school system in Illinois under a special act of legislature in 1851, two years before the state's free school laws passed. That same year, a two-story school was built with Merwin Tabor as principal. The first grade schools were built four years later.
The first class from East Aurora High School graduated in 1867. In 1878, East Aurora High School formed the first high school orchestra in the country. The first kindergarten opened in 1890 and, in 1903, the district started a school for deaf children.
There are several East Aurora School District 131 schools that no longer exist, including: New York Street School (1851-1864), Center School (1866-1957), First Indian Creek School (1870-1899), Indian Creek School (1899-1957), D.W. Young School (1875-1956), First Oak Park School (1887-1923) and Marion Avenue School (1889-1929).
District information
According to the 2012 Illinois State report cards, there are 14,494 students enrolled in East Aurora School District 131. Of those students, 84.2 percent are Hipanic, 8.6 percent are black, 4.3 percent are white, .5 percent are Asian, .5 percent are American Indian and 1.9 percent are categorized as one or more races.[4]
According to the 2012 Illinois state report cards, 81.4 percent of East Aurora School District 131 students are considered low income and 37.2 percent have limited English proficiency. .[5] One-third of East Aurora 131 students receive bilingual services.
The pupil-to-student ratio at the elementary school level is 20.8 to 1 and at the high school it is 24.6 to 1, according to the 2012 report cards. The average East Aurora School District 131 teacher has more than 11 years experience. More than 56 percent of teachers have a Master's Degree or higher, according to the 2012 report card.[6]
The 2010-2011 budget for the school district was more than $141.5 million. As of the 2013-2014 school year, East Aurora 131 has the highest financial profile ranking by the State Board of Education. The District has reserves in excess of $90 million.[7]
Elementary schools
| School's name | School's namesake | Mascot | Colors | Principal | Year opened |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allen Elementary | Olney C. Allen, former Kane County judge and school board member | Panthers | Royal and white | Robert Pape | 1951 |
| Bardwell Elementary | Conrad Bardwell, superintendent 1896-1928 | Bears | Kelly and white | Twila Garza | 1929 |
| Beaupre Elementary | W.S. Beaupre, banker and school board member from 1882-1927 | Pumas | Royal and gold | Caridad Garcia | 1916 |
| Benavides Kindergarten Center | Anne Garcia Benavides, former East Aurora principal, administrator | Bengals | Lisa Simoncelli-Bulak | 2014 | |
| Brady Elementary | Lorenzo D. Brady, Illinois legislator, mayor and East school trustee | Bobcats | Red and white | Francisco De Los Santos | 1923 |
| Dieterich Elementary | George N. Dieterich, former school board president | Bobcats | Royal and white | Julia Doverspike | 1922 |
| Gates Elementary | John W. Gates, former superintendent | Tigers | Red and black | Nitza Carrillo | 1956 |
| Hermes Elementary | Nicholas A. Hermes, school board member | Panthers | Red and white | Scott Dart | 1956 |
| Johnson Elementary | Clifford I. Johnson, pharmacist and school board member | Jaguars | Kelly and gold | Dr. David Ballard | 1956 |
| Krug Elementary | Rose E. Krug, East Aurora nurse, World War I veteran | Tigers | Royal and white | Noah Little | 1965 |
| Oak Park Elementary | School was originally surrounded by oak trees | Tigers | Purple and white | 1924 | |
| O'Donnell Elementary | Mable O'Donnell, East reading supervisor and nationally published author | Bobcats | Royal and gold | Ed Brouch | 1965 |
| Rollins Elementary | Edna Rollins, director of finance and administrative services | Cougars | Red and gold | Glenda Mitrov | 1990 |
Middle Schools
| School's name | School's namesake | Mascot | Colors | Principal | Year opened |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowherd Middle School | Henry Cowherd, Aurora resident and East High class of 1945 | Cougars | Royal and orange | Crystal England | 1992 |
| Simmons Middle School | Clifton F. Simmons, former school board president and East High quarterback | Panthers | Black and white | Mechelle Patterson | 1961 |
| Waldo Middle School | K.D. Waldo, former superintendent of East Aurora 131 | Wildcats | Red and white | Sandy Katula | 1912 |
High Schools
| School's name | Mascot | Colors | Principal | Year opened |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Aurora High School | Tomcats | Red and black | Anthony Crespo | 1957 (current building) |
| East Aurora Extension Campus | Tomcats | Red and black | Jessica Orstead | 2014 |
Magnet Academy
| School's name | School's namesake | Mascot | Principal | Year opened |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fred Rodgers Magnet Academy | Fred Rodgers, longtime community activist | Puma | Angela Rowley | 2013 (current building) |
Early Childhood Centers
| School's name | School's namesake | Principal |
|---|---|---|
| Early Childhood Center | N/A | Kathleen Kogut |
| Child Service Center | N/A | N/A |
Special Education
| School's name | School's namesake | Mascot | Principal | Year opened |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hope D. Wall School (run in cooperation with West Aurora Public School District 129) | Hope D. Wall, special education teacher | Rockets | Doris Hillman | 1969 |
