Collinsville School District 10

The annual contest runs Friday and Saturday at the Dome at America’s Center in downtown St. Louis.

The 46,000-square-foot facility will be an expansion of the Collinsville Area Vocational Center, which was opened in 1971 and currently provides students from 10 area high schools with dual-credit career training and skill development.

In April, Collinsville Unit School District #10 announced it’s considering closing the school due to declining enrollment and would hold three hearings to receive public input.

Program organizers said it solves two problems — it gives students a chance to enter the workforce and provides employers the opportunity to find badly-needed help.

One of the biggest issues facing the local education system is the growing number of teachers needed — especially special education and bilingual teachers, as well as paraprofessionals.

The latest Illinois Report Card provides information about schools across southwestern Illinois. Here’s how metro-east high schools fared in the 2022-23 report.

The longtime program is housed on the western side of Collinsville's high school and provides vocational training in a wide variety of trades to juniors and seniors from nine area high schools.

According to the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools’ educator shortage survey from the previous academic year, more than 30% of open teacher, support staff and special education positions went un- or underfilled — the highest percentage in the six years.

The Collinsville school district will now offer all of its students free breakfast and lunch through a federal program for high-need school districts.