Aaleiyah Spaulding of Springfield said Thursday she had not been on the University of Illinois Springfield campus since the school went to remote classes in March 2020.
Spaulding was taking part in a stage experience at Sangamon Auditorium, marking her graduation with a degree in psychology. That experience may have kept down the number of guests because of COVID-19 , and Spaulding couldn t celebrate with all of her classmates, but it was memorable nonetheless, she said. I was worried we weren t going to do it because of COVID, Spaulding said before the short ceremony. Even if it s just six guests, I m just happy. My family is here. That s enough for me.
Every ten years, county board districts are redrawn to reflect changes in population.
Last year, when I ran for a second term, I promised, if re-elected, to present a fair map.
And that’s what I did. On Tuesday, I presented a map drawn by the geography department of the University of Illinois Springfield, reducing the number of board districts from 29 to 25.
Current map is here; proposed map is here.
In the contract, I specified “no bias” and to follow Illinois law, which requires districts to be a) nearly equal in population, b) compact, and c) to follow township, municipal and precinct lines, if possible.
Dominic Watson is intimately familiar with the disparities that exist in Springfield and Sangamon County.
Growing up, he would travel from the north side of town to the east side to attend St. Patrick s Catholic School near the corner of MLK Drive and South Grand Avenue. Driving from the north side to the east side, or from the west side to the east side, you can see how things change,” said Watson, 37, who is president and chief executive officer of the Springfield Black Chamber of Commerce. “You transition. It s like a whole different world.
In Sangamon County, the median household income for a Black family is $27,003, while it is $66,648 for their white counterparts, according to five-year estimates from the 2019 American Community Survey, the most recent available. The survey shows that 39.2% of the county’s Black residents live in poverty while 10.3% of white residents live below the poverty line. Of the 13 Illinois counties with Black populations of 15,000 or mo
Carmelita Foster is District 186’s Horace Mann Educator of the Year. The Fairview Elementary School fifth-grade teacher was announced as the winner of the annual award Friday afternoon during a small gathering at the front of the school.
Foster’s family and a few of the students who nominated her for the award were there as District 186 Superintendent Jennifer Gill presented her with a symbolic giant check and a crystal owl. She receives $1,400 for earning the top honor.
Starting her teaching career at Harvard Park Elementary in 2013, Foster has worked in the district for eight years and has taught fourth and fifth grade.