District 54 wins Bright Red Apple Award

District 54 has once again received the Bright Red Apple Award from SchoolSearch, a company that offers relocating families information about schools.

The Bright Red Apple award is based on five factors (obtained from 2009 Illinois State Report Card data): academic performance, student-teacher ratio, expenditure per student, educational level of teachers and average teacher salary.

Only 83 Illinois school districts, out of 869 school districts, were honored with the award this year for striving to provide their students with an outstanding educational environment.

All districts in Illinois were considered for the award and the award criteria were based on objective factors - so that all districts would be judged fairly. The award criteria were based on the primary areas of concern of most of SchoolSearch's relocating families. While statistical factors are revealing, it is very important for families to visit schools that are of interest to them.

To obtain the award each district must have the following:

• At least 55.8 percent of teachers must have a master's degree or higher.

• The student-teacher ratio must be 18.4:1 or better.

• The operating expenditure per student must be at least $9,682.

• The average teacher salary must be at least $54,050.

• The average percentage of third- through eighth-grade students who meet or exceed percentages on the Illinois Standards Achievement Test for reading and math must be at least 88.33.

SchoolSearch is a Kansas City-based firm that has provided comparative school district information for corporations, homebuilders, school districts, libraries, real estate professionals and relocating families since 1991.