District 181 schools have launched several holiday giving projects this season, supporting families, children, and veterans in the surrounding community. These initiatives involve students, staff, and families working together to collect meals, toys, and essential supplies for those in need.
At Hinsdale Middle School, efforts are directed toward local military veteran families by collecting holiday gifts for 15 households. Madison Elementary and the CHMS PTO are both partnering with HCS Family Services to fulfill wish lists for families in need served by the organization. Elm School’s Kindness Club is contributing through a diaper wipes drive for HCS Family Services and sending holiday cards to residents at Sunrise Senior Living Home. The Lane School’s Kids Care Club held a food drive before Thanksgiving to benefit HCS Family Services and is also organizing a meal kit drive for the LIFT center at Christ Church.
Prospect School is hosting a toy drive for pediatric cardiology and oncology patients at Advocate Children’s Hospital in Oak Lawn. Monroe School Student Council is running a toy drive for Hinsdale Hospital. Oak School’s Kids Care Club worked with the D181 Foundation to assemble 53 baskets containing Thanksgiving dinner essentials—including a $50 grocery store gift card—for Boys and Girls Club of Chicago families; these were distributed on November 21.
In broader outreach activities, the CHMS Peer Leadership Club organized a Thanksgiving food drive benefiting the People’s Resource Center in Westmont and is collecting gently used sports items for Sports For All, a nonprofit started by former CHMS students now attending Central High School.
According to district officials, “The collective efforts of District 181 schools highlight the commitment to service and community that defines the district, teaching students the value of giving back during the holiday season and throughout the year.”
Hinsdale Community Consolidated School District 181 covers both DuPage and Cook counties and includes Clarendon Hills Middle School, Elm Elementary School, Hinsdale Middle School, Madison Elementary School, Monroe Elementary School, Oak Elementary School, Prospect Elementary School, The Lane Elementary School, and Walker School. More information about school demographics can be found at https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/.
Data from the Illinois State Board of Education shows that District 181 employs 282 teachers with an average salary of $94,227; ninety percent are women while ten percent are men. There are no teachers with more than ten absences annually in this district (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). The student body is comprised of approximately 69.8 percent White students, with Asian students making up about 15.4 percent; Hispanic students represent roughly 6.8 percent while Black students account for around 1.1 percent (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). In fiscal year 2020, spending per student was $31,308—totaling $117 million across the district (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).
