Thank you for another great school year at District 88

On June 7, nearly 1,000 students walked across the stage during the commencement ceremonies at Addison Trail and Willowbrook and into the next chapter of their lives.

As the students received their diplomas, I couldn’t help but reflect on the legacy they’re leaving behind. Each class leaves its mark on District 88, and the members of the class of 2015 are no exception. They and their younger classmates have given us another amazing school year – with seemingly endless accomplishments to celebrate. As we officially say goodbye to the 2014-15 school year, we would like to share eight highlights from District 88.

  1. Our graduation rate continues to be above the state level, and more than 90 percent of the class of 2015 at Addison Trail and at Willowbrook has been accepted to a two- or four-year college or university. Addison Trail students will attend schools in 17 states – including Washington, D.C. – and Willowbrook students will attend schools in 21 states.
  2. More students than ever enrolled in Advanced Placement (AP) courses this year, which allow them to earn college credit while in high school.
  3. We had students qualify to compete at the State and National levels in Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA); DECA; Business Professionals of America (BPA); Ford/AAA; SkillsUSA; Speech; Math; Science Olympiad; and the Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA).
  4. This year, District 88 had nine All-State and six Academic All-State athletes recognized by the Illinois High School Association (IHSA). Twenty-three individuals and teams from District 88 qualified for IHSA State competition, including the Addison Trail Boys Volleyball Team (which competed in the State Tournament for the first time ever and earned 3rd place) and Willowbrook’s Kelly McNamara becoming our first State champion in Girls Swimming. We also had two 2nd-place State finishers from Willowbrook in wrestling. In the West Suburban Conference, District 88 won five conference titles. Nearly 100 athletes received All-Conference recognition, and 186 athletes received Academic All-Conference honors. Two athletes were named as All-American, and 40 students from District 88 signed to play their sport at the collegiate level.
  5. Our students and staff continue to give back to their communities. They raised more than $60,000 for the American Cancer Society, hosted blood drives to benefit LifeSource, participated in numerous community events and more.
  6. We’ve partnered with Addison Community Television (ACTV) this year to film a new video segment called “The State of District 88.” The show takes place every other month and highlights student successes, as well as important information about the district. Shows can be viewed on local cable in Addison and in Villa Park, and the video segments also are posted on our website at https://dupage88.net/site/page/3803.
  7. In March, we hosted the first-ever Villa Park Intergovernmental meeting at Willowbrook. The goal of the intergovernmental initiative is to bring together leaders of the community to discuss how we can continue to improve Villa Park, including District 88. We have an intergovernmental group in Addison, and we’re excited to implement this initiative in Villa Park as well.
  8. District 88 has been named as “Top High Schools” by Newsweek and as “America’s Most Challenging High Schools” by The Washington Post since 2008. Addison Trail and Willowbrook also were named as “Best Public High Schools in the Chicago Metro Area” in the 2015 Niche Rankings, and District 88 was ranked 47th in Illinois. Addison Trail and Willowbrook also were named as “Best High Schools” by U.S. News & World Report in 2012 and 2015.

To reach this level of success, it truly takes a village. DuPage County was recently recognized as one where low-income children have the best odds of growing up to escape poverty. We know it’s because of our stakeholders and communities working together that we’re able to build futures for District 88 students and accomplish our mission of working for the continuous improvement of student achievement. Thank you for your continued support of District 88.