Education
K-12 SCHOOL DISTRICTS
More than 3,100 K-8 students are enrolled within Deerfield Public School District 109’s six facilities. Among these schools are Kipling Elementary, Walden Elementary, South Park Elementary, Wilmot Elementary, Shepard Middle School, and Caruso Middle School. Two of these six facilities have recently garnered recognition as a 2008 Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education. Wilmot Elementary and Shepard Middle Schools are among 10 schools in the state to earn this prestigious accolade.
The rigorous traditional curriculum accessed through District 109 schools includes the areas of mathematics, language arts, science, social studies, art, physical education, and music. Students enrolled in the district continuously exceed expectations, scoring well above state test score averages on a regular basis.
The district has dedicated itself to meeting the diverse needs of all of its students. Teachers, parents, students and the overall community work together in order to supply each student with exceptional needs with excellent individualized education programs. Each school is equipped with a Student Services Coordinator, certified school psychologist, social worker and counselors, speech and language pathologist, and health aides and nurses to oversee the special needs of district students. Among the specialized programs offered include Special Education, English as a Second Language (ESL), the Helping Hands Preschool Program, the Preschool Speech-Language Program, and After School Enrichment classes.
In addition to this special programming, students demonstrating strengths in language arts and mathematics and exceed the realm of the traditional curriculum are served through the district’s Gifted Education Program, TAP (Talent, Ability, Potential). TAP is composed of a variety of different programs geared toward meeting the needs of high-ability students at all grade levels.
Bannockburn School District 106
Bannockburn School District 106 serves the entirety of Bannockburn and Del Mar Woods, along with portions of Riverwoods, Highland Park, and West Deerfield and Vernon Townships. Just under 200 students in grades K-8 attend Bannockburn School District 106. While this number is smaller in comparison to other area school districts, its student body is quite diverse. The modest enrollment of District 106 has given way to smaller class sizes. These small classes have led to more individualized attention and a dynamic environment conducive to unmatched learning opportunities. In fact, more than 96 percent of students consistently achieve top statewide scores in all areas.
The conventional curriculum offered through District 106 is supported by special education programming, as well as specialty programs in foreign language instruction, algebra, and science instruction in a lab setting. Technology remains important in the district’s offerings, which is evident in the availability of a variety of technological tools. Notably, the district boasts a small student-to-computer ratio of approximately 1:1.
Supplementing the challenging academic arena of District 106 is a long list of extracurricular activities including band, jazz band, orchestra, choir, theatre, debate, public speaking, interscholastic boys’ and girls’ basketball and volleyball, coed soccer, along with a wealth of after-school enrichment classes.
Township High School District 113
Township High School District 113’s student body is composed of 3,640 students who attend one of two high schools—Deerfield High School or Highland Park High School. Students regularly go above and beyond the statewide averages for test scores. In fact, the class of 2008 earned the district’s highest ACT scores in the last five years. Additionally, more than 95 percent of the graduating students in 2008 have continued on the path to higher learning.
Supporting the learning needs of District 113’s student body are more than 500 faculty and staff members—of which approximately 89 percent of teachers have earned Master’s or Doctorate degrees.
A comprehensive curriculum has been instituted at both schools, with highlights including Deerfield High School’s newly instituted Freshman Physics program—which promotes career paths in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)—a Dual Language PE course, and American Studies classes. In addition to a challenging traditional curriculum, gifted program, and special education services, District 113 has implemented an exceptional Continuing Education Program, which welcomes adults to take part in courses designed to improve and acquire new career-related skills or to participate in enrichment courses.
Students at both high schools have exhibited great philanthropic dedication to the community and beyond. Among the many initiatives Deerfield High School students have taken part in is the School Chest Program, which benefits a new charity each year through a six-week fundraising campaign. Deerfield High School has also instituted an Earthworks Club, an active environmental club. Highland Park High School hosts the Amnesty International Club and the Green School Initiative (GSI).
Since 2004, District 113 has invested approximately $20 million in enhancement projects, including new roofs, increased instructional areas, heating and cooling systems, and more. Major improvements have recently been made on both high school campuses. Both have seen major technology updates and roof enhancements. Deerfield High School has acquired new parking lots and grounds updates, along with new floors in the science labs and bathrooms and updates to the tennis courts and track. Highland Park High School received updates to its track, replacement lockers in the band rooms, a repainted gymnastics room, and large-scale renovations to Wolters Field, which includes the investment of a new drainage system, sod, and locker rooms.
HIGHER LEARNING
Trinity International University—Deerfield Campus
Affiliated with the Evangelical Free Church of America and a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU), Trinity International University (TIU) has been a part of the area’s educational landscape since 1897. The 111-acre main campus remains in Bannockbun, with Regional Centers and Extension Sites located across the country. The Bannockbun Campus is comprised of three schools within the TIU family, including a liberal arts college, a divinity school and a graduate school, along with the Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity, the Carl F.H. Henry Center for Theological Understanding, and an adult undergraduate program.
Trinity College is a four-year, liberal arts college offering 28 undergraduate major programs, 21 specialized minors, a dual BA/MA degree in Bioethics, and an accelerated BA/MA in Intercultural Studies, while Trinity Graduate School’s degree programs include the Master of Arts in Bioethics, Communication and Culture, Instructional Leadership, and Teaching.
Recognized as one of the largest seminaries in the world, with an enrollment of more than 1,200 graduate students, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School strives to develop servant leaders for the global church. The Master of Divinity degree is a major focus at TEDS, with ThM and DMin degrees offered as well. Additionally, three academic PhD programs are part of the academic list.
At the main campus, the REACH Adult Undergraduate Program offers an adult-friendly environment while students complete a variety of majors including General Business, Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, Liberal Arts, Psychology, Christian Ministries, and Education. The Illinois Teacher Certification is also available on the Bannockburn campus, with online coursework a further option for busy adults.
College of Lake County
The College of Lake County (CLC) is a leading source of higher education in the area, as it serves 16,000 credit students. It is a comprehensive, two-year community college offering a range of credit and non-credit programs designed to prepare students for either transfer or immediate career entry, or for personal enrichment or career development. In addition to its main campus in Grayslake, CLC has established the Lakeshore Campus in Waukegan and the Southlake Campus in Vernon Hills, as well as an office at the Great Lakes Naval Training Base (known as the Great Lakes Center) and an exhaustive list of extension sites located throughout Lake County—including one in Deerfield at the Patty Turner Senior Center (PTSC).
Students in the DBR area generally attend CLC’s 47,000-square-foot Southlake Campus, where they can access a wide scope of academic programs including two-year degree programs, certificate programs, transfer programs, and non-credit programs such as English as a Second Language and professional and personal development courses. The campus also offers the Discovery and Quest programs, which are designed for adults aged 50 and older, and is home to the Workforce and Professional Development Institute geared towards serving the training needs of local businesses. Credit options discovered through the Southlake Campus of CLC are offered via day and evening courses to meet the needs of busy students. Various workshops and seminars, as well as support services, including registration, advisement, learning assistance, basic skills testing, and academic, personal, and career counseling, are also included in the campus’ ever-increasing course offerings.
The campus has recently experienced a major expansion project in 2007, which nearly tripled the learning space. This project led to the addition of new science labs, a library and learning center, computer labs, faculty and administrative offices, as well as community meeting space. Southlake is also the site of the first green roofing project on a public structure in the entire county.
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