Studies in Excellence

The quality of our schools is a source of pride to area residents, with high levels of parental and public involvement. The Tri-County Area has 124 public elementary schools, 26 public high schools and 24 private and parochial schools, plus a myriad of preschool programs.

Looking for higher education? Bradley University and Illinois Central College lead an impressive pack of area institutions, while schools for medicine and nursing abound.

ELEMENTARY & HIGH SCHOOLS

The state of Illinois recently honored 48 Tri-County Area schools for notable academic achievement, including five schools which received the prestigious Academic Excellence Award.

Peoria Public School District 150, the region’s largest district, was recognized as a SchoolMatch “What Parents Want” award-winning school system, an honor bestowed on only 15 percent of the nation’s school systems. In 2006, District 150 was the only downstate district with 11 Illinois Spotlight Schools, a designation which showcases academic achievement. Academically, the District saw improved student achievement last year, with a 3.5 percent reading increase and a 5.4 percent math increase.

District 150 routinely produces all-state musicians and academic scholars and provides an array of extracurricular activities, including many state-ranked sports teams, a National Hispanic Recognition Scholars Program and an IHSA all-state academic team.

In 2006, three District 150 schools partnered with parents and neighborhood residents to become Full Service Community Schools. The District also partners with the Edison Project at four area schools. Other partnerships include Caterpillar, Bradley University Workforce Development, ICC and PERFECT, which have all helped develop career and technical programs within the District.

Richwoods High School offers the acclaimed International Baccalaureate program, a two-year, pre-university course of studies based on international standards—and one of the most rigorous in the nation. An Illinois Academic Excellence school, Peoria’s Washington Gifted School was rated the highest-scoring middle school in the state based on scores on the Illinois Standard Achievement Test for reading and math.

At Roosevelt Magnet School, a comprehensive curriculum is combined with the specialties of art, music, drama and dance to support students in grades 5-8 with an interest in the arts. Peoria High School offers the Preparatory School for the Arts, to continue the fine arts curriculum at the 9-12 grade levels.

Peoria Academy is an independent, nonprofit institution educating students in grades K-8. Housed in a state-of-the-art facility, Peoria Academy is committed to creative and critical thinking, a love of learning and the development of moral awareness.

One of the fastest growing districts in the state, Dunlap School District 323 is another superb school system. Its Wilder-Waite Grade School is ranked 13th among all Illinois elementary schools, based upon 2006-07 ISAT test results.

There are many outstanding districts across the region, including those in East Peoria, Pekin, Metamora, Washington and Morton, along with a wide variety of parochial schools for all faiths and denominations.

BRADLEY UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1897, Bradley University is an independent institution enrolling approximately 5,300 undergraduate and 800 graduate students on a beautiful 85-acre campus. More than 100 baccalaureate programs are offered through Bradley’s five colleges, and the University offers more than 30 graduate programs, including a doctorate in physical therapy and an Executive MBA. Bradley is home to an International Trade Center, the NAFTA Opportunity Center, the Turner Center for Entrepreneurship and the Institute for Principled Leadership in Public Service.

Bradley is consistently rated a regional Top 10 university by U.S. News and World Report. The school ranked first in Illinois and No. 6 overall among 108 Midwest universities providing a full range of undergraduate and master’s programs in “America’s Best Colleges 2008” and continues to be considered a “great school at a great price,” with a second-place ranking in that category. Among Bradley’s nationally recognized faculty is Illinois Poet Laureate Dr. Kevin Stein, who is the Caterpillar Professor of English at the university.

ILLINOIS CENTRAL COLLEGE

Illinois Central College, the area’s community college, offers more than 2,100 courses each semester and serves more than 13,000 students each year. The college has three locations: the East Peoria campus located at 1 College Drive; the downtown campus on Adams Street; and the north campus located at 5407 North University.

More than 185 programs of study are available. These include transfer programs, which provide students with the coursework for the first two years of a baccalaureate degree, and occupational and technical degrees and certificates, which prepare students in such areas as criminal justice, health care, automotive technology, culinary arts, therapeutic massage and information technology.

The college also provides a wide array of professional development and continuing education courses through its Professional Development Institute and a number of cultural programs through the Performing Arts Center.

ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY

Just down the road in Normal, Illinois State University, the state’s first public university, celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2007. With six colleges and 34 academic departments, ISU offers more than 160 programs of study, while its Graduate School coordinates 47 masters, specialist and doctoral programs. More than 20,000 students—including 3,000 graduate students—attend each year. ISU is well known for its education curriculum; it is, in fact, the second-largest producer of teacher education graduates in the nation!

EUREKA COLLEGE

Eureka College is a small liberal arts college that focuses on small class sizes, a professor in every classroom and a writing-intense curriculum that prepares graduates with excellent communication skills. For its efforts, the College was rewarded by U.S. News & World Report, which ranked it among “America’s Best Colleges.” In 2007, it ranked first in the magazine’s “Great Schools at Great Prices” category for comprehensive bachelor’s degree colleges in the Midwest. You may have heard of its most famous graduate, Ronald Reagan (Class of ’32), who went on to become our country’s 40th President.

DIRKSEN CONGRESSIONAL CENTER

Named for Everett McKinley Dirksen, who served in Congress from 1933 to 1969, the Dirksen Congressional Center in Pekin is a unique educational and cultural resource. The Center seeks to improve civic engagement by promoting a better understanding of Congress and its leaders through archival, research and educational programs. It maintains historical collections and provides grants and awards to advance its mission. PP