Welcome to Morton School District 709. Since the fall of 2005 I have been proud to serve the communities of Morton and Groveland as Associate Superintendent and more recently as Superintendent of one of the finest public school districts in the state of Illinois. The parents, staff, administration and the board of education continue to partner with each other to provide our students with a quality of education that inspires them to be life-time learners. We believe we not only have the responsibility to teach children to read and write, but we also must provide them a safe environment that allows them to develop into adults that will make good choices and contribute to the world around them.

The administrators and the board of education work diligently to provide a high-quality education with a price tag that is a value to our taxpayers. District 709 has been recognized as a SchoolSearch Bright Star Award recipient. This means that we provide outstanding academic results at a reasonable cost. This is something we will continue to work and strive to give to the people that financially support our schools.

We do this because our taxpayers and parents set high expectations for our District. Parents of students in District 709 support our schools with time, energy and resources. This support from the home allows our staff to partner with parents to give each child what they need to succeed.

Our staff, too, is a key component to the success of District 709. Many of our teachers have advanced degrees and as a district we recognize what that additional education does for the quality of our programs. That is why we offer tuition reimbursement. We also provide mentoring to our staff and additional training so they are equipped to give our students the best possible education. Most of all, our staff provides a caring and compassionate environment for our students. They genuinely care about each child and their personal growth.

Our students respond to these efforts. They consistently score above average on achievement tests and our high school is rated among the top 20 in the state. Approximately 92 percent of our students graduate from high school with the vast majority going on to pursue higher education.  Our students work hard and it shows.

We are fortunate to have a community that values education. We appreciate their support and pledge to continue to make Morton District 709 a premiere public school.