Aug 16, 2023

Happy First Day of School!

After several months of planning, I can't believe the day is finally here and boy, did the weather cooperate! This is my 33rd year as an educator celebrating the first day of school and beginning my eighth year as Superintendent of Joliet Public Schools District 86! Today is such a heartwarming rewarding day. I feel the excitement in the air. It was so nice to see the students and staff excited to be back in school; I saw a lot of smiles on the faces of several parents too!

Special shout out to our building support staff for getting the buildings and classrooms ready for school. Many of the floors I saw this morning were so shiny I thought they were still west from the wax! Oh and how I love the smell of new crayons and pencils! There is even one of our Kindergarten teachers that actually has a crayon sharpener in his classroom. The students were so impressed!

Thank you for supporting District 86. Our families and community members are amazing! So many local businesses and churches have donated backpacks and school supplies for our students. Your generosity is so appreciated! It truly does take a village!

This school year promises to be a great one. We are thrilled to launch the first year of our new five-year Strategic Plan and work has already begun on our approved $99.5 million referendum to update and improve our facilities. Several meetings occurred over the summer to gather input for the two new junior high schools from our Gompers and Hufford employees. I'm looking forward to seeing detailed plans soon! Keep checking our website for updates on our Facility Improvement webpage.

If you ever have a question, comment, concern, or compliment about one of our schools or the District, send a Let's Talk message by clicking on the logo on the website

T. E. Culbertson Elementary School

Happy First Day of School