Kane County Reporter

Central Community Unit School District 301 marked the beginning of the new academic year with a series of social media posts highlighting first-day experiences across its schools.

On August 20, 2025, the district shared scenes from Prairie View Grade School: "The smiles were endless at Prairie View on #DayOne301! Students and staff filled the halls with excitement, and the biggest highlight was a big warm hug for Principal Mattei to kick off the morning. What a way to start the year! #WeAreCentral "

Later that evening, Central High School’s return was celebrated in another post: "The Rockets are back in the halls and ready to launch #DayOne301 at Central High School is in the books. Here’s to a great year ahead! See you tomorrow! #WeAreCentral " (August 21, 2025).

On August 21, 2025, Country Trails Elementary School welcomed its youngest students: " First day of kindergarten at Country Trails! Excitement, nerves, big smiles — and a few hugs to make it through. Today was a big #DayOne301 moment for our youngest learners and their families. Here’s to the many adventures ahead in Central 301! #WeAreCentral"

Central Community Unit School District 301 serves Kane and DeKalb counties and includes several schools such as Central High School, Central Middle School, Country Trails Elementary School, Howard B. Thomas Grade School, Lily Lake Grade School, Prairie Knolls Middle School, and Prairie View Grade School (source). According to data from the Illinois State Board of Education (source), there are 280 teachers in the district earning an average salary of $58,199; most are women (77.7 percent), while men comprise 22.3 percent of staff. No teacher has recorded more than ten absences in a school year.

Demographically, Central Community Unit School District 301 is composed of approximately 65 percent White students; Hispanic students represent about 16 percent; Asian students make up just over twelve percent; Black students account for two percent (source). In fiscal terms, per-student spending reached $19,244 in 2020 for a total expenditure exceeding $84 million (source).