Students return to school in districts 214, 220, 62
Students and staffers celebrated the first day of school at Wheeling High School on Monday with a new assembly focused on having a successful year.
The Student Success Summit included team-building activities along with ice cream and a class picture as a way to start the 2016-2017 school year off on the right foot.
The Wheeling High students were among about 12,000 students to return to school Monday in Northwest Suburban High School District 214.
Also back to school Monday were the nearly 9,000 students in Barrington Area Unit District 220. It was an especially exciting return for students at Barrington's Hough Elementary School, where they arrived to find numerous changes around the building thanks to a $1.3 million renovation project over the summer.
It also was the first day in Des Plaines Elementary District 62. At Orchard Place Elementary on the city's south side, new Superintendent Floyd Williams, Jr. and local dignitaries handed out pencils as students walked in on a red carpet.
Local officials attending included school board member Beth Morley, state Rep. Marty Moylan, state Sen. Laura Murphy, Rosemont Mayor Brad Stephens, Des Plaines City Clerk Gloria Ludwig, Police Chief Bill Kushner, Fire Chief Alan Wax, and park director Don Miletic.
The Iroquois Community School band performed during the festivities.
• Daily Herald staff writer Christopher Placek contributed to this report.