Quantcast

Illinois Valley Times

Wednesday, August 6, 2025

Peru Elementary School District 124 students suspended 53 times just in 2023-24 school year

Webp donna simpson leak 530limpar33

Dr. Donna Leak Vice-Chair - Flossmoor | solutiontree.com

Dr. Donna Leak Vice-Chair - Flossmoor | solutiontree.com

Peru Elementary School District 124 reported 53 suspensions just during the 2023-24 school year, according to the Illinois Report Card.

In total, there were 53 disciplinary actions recorded during the school year, representing a rate of approximately 5.6 incidents per 100 of the district’s enrolled students.

Among in-school suspensions all cases were classified under "other reason" or left unspecified.

There were 47 disciplinary incidents involving male students. Another six incidents involved female students.

All 53 suspensions issued in the district involved elementary or middle school students.

In terms of ethnicity, white students, who made up 68.9% of the Peru Elementary School District 124 student body, were suspended the most in the district, with 27 suspensions reported during the 2023-24 school year. They were followed by Hispanic students, who made up 19.9% of the student body, and received 16 suspensions.

Illinois has approved a 2025 budget that allocates $8.6 billion to K-12 education, a $350 million increase from the previous fiscal year—the minimum required under the state funding formula.

In 2024, Illinois registered a teacher retention rate of almost 90%. Yet, around 91% of superintendents reported having a 'serious' problem teacher shortage problem. In total, almost 4,100 teaching positions remained vacant by the end of the year.

“They’re putting a substitute in there, that’s somebody with a four-year degree that’s not in teaching. They’re using a retired teacher…or worse than that, they’re canceling the class, putting the kids in other classrooms, putting them in study hall, but those are strategies we have to use if there’s no qualified teacher,” said Beth Crider, regional superintendent of Peoria County Regional Office of Education #48.

Peru Elementary School District 124 Student Discipline Report
Type of IncidentIn-School SuspensionOut-of-School Suspension
Alcohol--
Violence with injury--
Violence without injury--
Drug offenses--
Firearm--
Other dangerous weapons--
Tobacco--
Other reason3419
Total3419
Length of Suspensions
DurationIn-School SuspensionOut-of-School Suspension
One day or less131
1-2 days2112
2-3 days-3
3-4 days-2
4-10 days-1
More than 10 days--

MORE NEWS