District 181 educators honored with state’s Those Who Excel award
A group of educators from Hinsdale Community Consolidated School District 181 has been recognized with the 2026 Those Who Excel award by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). The program, established in 1970, honors educators who have made significant contributions to public and non-public elementary and secondary schools across Illinois.
The district congratulated the following staff members for their achievement: Mary Black, Jessica Brady, Lisa Brough, Kristin Cummings, Erica Ekstrom, Mary Jo Guzaldo, Dr. Gina Herrmann, Yvonne Honings, Melonie Jackson, Michelle Nugent, Christopher Reid, Mallory Roman, and Cassie Soofi.
"We extend our heartfelt congratulations to these stellar staff members for this well-deserved recognition," the district stated. "Congratulations again to all our award recipients! Your tireless efforts and positive impact on the D181 community are truly appreciated."
Hinsdale Community Consolidated School District 181 serves areas in DuPage and Cook counties and includes several schools such as Clarendon Hills Middle School and Elm Elementary School. More information about the district can be found at https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/.
According to ISBE data reported at https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/, the district employs 282 teachers with an average salary of $94,227 before pension contributions; 90 percent are women and 10 percent are men. There were no teachers with more than ten absences in a school year.
Demographically, students in District 181 are predominantly White (69.8 percent), with Asian (15.4 percent), Hispanic (6.8 percent), and Black (1.1 percent) populations also represented as noted by ISBE statistics at https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/.
In terms of spending, the district allocated $31,308 per student in 2020 for a total expenditure of $117 million according to figures available at https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/.
Chronic truancy remains low within District 181; only four students were classified as chronically truant during the 2020 school year—a rate of just 0.1 percent compared to a statewide average of 9.6 percent as detailed at https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/.
The district enrolled approximately 3,743 students during the 2019-2020 academic year and provides education from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade in Clarendon Hills and DuPage County; further details can be accessed via https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/.