Dist. 301 earns 2007 Bright Red Apple award

Supt. Brad Hawk was beside himself this week when he announced that the school district he oversees -- Central Unit District 301 -- earned an award from SchoolSearch, an educational research and consulting firm that publishes online rankings of Illinois public school systems.

The Burlington-based district that also serves western Elgin and portions of Campton Township, received the firm's 2007 Bright Red Apple award of excellence in the high school category.

It was the lone district in Kane County to capture the award in that group.

"This was kind of news to us, it was a surprise," Hawk said Tuesday. "I knew of the organization, but didn't know they gave awards."

Geneva Unit District 304 was the only system in Kane County to receive honors in the elementary school category -- marking the third consecutive time it snagged the award. Both Districts 301 and 304 are among 84 districts statewide to be cited, out of 872 school districts.

The honor recognizes districts' academic performance, student/teacher ratio, the amount of money spent per student, teachers' educational levels and the average teacher's salary.

These are factors many families consider before selecting a school district, according to SchoolSearch's Web site.

Over the past few years, thousands of new families have been moving to District 301, citing its schools as one of the reasons.

"It's been a district improvement goal to be as family friendly and service oriented as we can," Hawk said.

Through annual rankings, SchoolSearch, which has been around since 1991, prides itself on helping families find the best places for kids to attend school.

The agency furnishes school district information to corporations, homebuilders, libraries, real estate professionals, legislators, relocating families, and other school districts.