Six Tazewell County schools will have new principals for the new school year
Here are six new principals in East Peoria, Creve Coeur, Morton and Pekin.
April McLaughlin, Neil A. Armstrong School, East Peoria
McLaughlin previously worked in Rankin Community School District 98 in Pekin, where she served as principal at Rankin School for 11 years. She replaced Daren Lowery, who announced his retirement in May. Located at 1848 Highview Road, Neil A. Armstrong Elementary School is a primary school for students from pre-kindergarten through second grade. It is part of East Peoria Elementary School District 86.
When does school start? Every first day of school date around central Illinois
Richie Benson, Glendale Elementary School, East Peoria
Benson took the helm as Glendale's principal after previously working as an administrator in Peoria Public Schools District 150. He replaced Terrie Armstrong, who retired at the end of the 2024-2025 school year. Glendale Elementary School serves third- through fifth-grade students and is located at 1000 Bloomington Road. It is part of East Peoria Elementary School District 86.
Jason Thompson, LaSalle Elementary School, Creve Coeur
Thompson replaced former principal Kayla Woods, who announced in May that she is moving on to a new position as the director of curriculum and instruction for District 76. LaSalle Elementary School is a pre-kindergarten through fifth-grade institution located at 300 N. Highland Street. It is part of Creve Coeur School District 76.
Jamie Adolphson, Jefferson Elementary School, Morton
Adolphson steps into the principal's role after seven years as Morton High School's assistant principal and associate principal. She replaced Kate Wyman, who had been Jefferson's principal since 2015 and is now in a job with the district. Located at 200 N. Jefferson Street, Jefferson Elementary School teaches kindergarten through sixth grade students. It is part of Morton Community Unit School District 709.
'This isn't an ending': Ahead of retirement, Peoria Public Schools superintendent reflects
Wendy Vastine, Lincoln Elementary School, Morton
Vastine succeeds previous principal Julie Horchem after serving as Lincoln's assistant principal. Lincoln Elementary School is located at 100 S. Nebraska Avenue and educates kindergarten through sixth-grade students. It is part of Morton Community Unit School District 709.
Nick Beard, Rankin School, Pekin
With former principal April McLaughlin moving on to a new role as principal at East Peoria's Neil A. Armstrong School, Beard is taking on a second role as Rankin School's principal. He is also Rankin's athletic director. Rankin School serves rural Pekin and educates students from kindergarten through eighth grade. It is located at 15716 Fifth Street and is part of Rankin School District 98.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: The new school year is bringing six new principals to Tazewell County
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
Leander ISD bus rolls over on 1st day of school, injuring multiple students
A school bus carrying 42 students on Wednesday rolled over after veering off a rural road in Travis County, Texas on the first day of class, injuring multiple students, authorities said. It happened around 3:15 the 22300 block of Nameless Road, according to the Texas Highway Patrol. The bus for Leander Independent School District was carrying primarily elementary school students, Superintendent Bruce Gearing said. The crash happened shortly after school let out, and no students had been dropped off yet. At least one person had life-threatening injuries, while two others had "potentially life-threatening injuries," Assistant Chief Kevin Parker, with Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services, said during a news conference. The bus was traveling on a rural stretch of two-lane road when it veered off the right side "for an unknown reason" and rolled over, according to Department of Public Safety Sgt. Billy Ray. He later said in a statement Wednesday night that it was raining when the crash happened and "it is unclear if weather had a factor." The crash is being investigated. Video footage of the scene showed the yellow school bus lying on its side next to the road with its roof damaged and several windows broken. School and emergency officials said the bus had 42 children, and the driver, along with 15 students, were transported to hospitals. Officials did not say if the person with life-threatening injuries was a student or the driver. The bus is a 2024 model and is equipped with state-mandated seat belts that the children are required to wear, Gearing said. "We want each of those students and their families to know that our prayers are with them, our thoughts are with them and we will do everything that we can in our power to support them," he said.
CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
West Point Cadets honor Junior ROTC cadet killed in Parkland shooting
Washington — Just before the class of 2025 graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and accepted their commissions as officers in the U.S. Army, a group of cadets this past May decided to honor one of their own — a boy who dreamed of attending West Point but before he could, laid down his life as a hero. Peter Wang, an Army Junior ROTC cadet, was just 15 years old and among the 17 killed during the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. During the shooting, he held a door open to allow students to escape the merciless gunfire on that day. In a follow-up story published seven years after the shooting, CBS News reported in May that Wang was posthumously accepted to the West Point class of 2025. When CBS News reached out to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in the days before graduation this year to ask whether Wang — who was symbolically accepted into the class — would be awarded his diploma posthumously, the inquiry appeared to catch both the academy's media relations staff and leadership off guard. Yet among some class members, Wang's story of sacrifice remained vivid, and their determination to see him honored had not faded. "When we put out a form asking for classmates to nominate honorary members of our class, I was not expecting Peter Wang's name to be on the list of nominees," newly minted Army 2nd Lt. Katherine Metz, the president of the class of 2025 at West Point, told CBS News. "Most cadets nominated former classmates who were separated from West Point for reasons outside of their control — mostly medical — or foreign exchange cadets who made a significant impact on our class or their countries. However, Peter's name appeared countless times within our class's responses." Metz had read the article by CBS News and other news stories from the time of the shooting. She said a number of cadets from the class nominated Wang for the Honorary Graduate Award and would soon be mailing his certificate to his parents. The award is an honor conferred on those who did not physically graduate with the class but who embody West Point's core values of duty, honor and country. When the sounds of gunfire reverberated through the hallways of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Wang was in study hall. As panic spread, he moved toward the exit — not to flee, but to hold the door open, easing the way for his classmates to escape. He was shot 13 times. Wang was found dead in a third-floor hallway, wearing his Army JROTC uniform. The Florida National Guard honored Wang with a military funeral, and hundreds assembled to pay their respects. Metz said one of her classmates wrote about how Wang "valiantly sacrificed himself to hold the door for his fellow classmates to escape," and said it was only fitting "that we recognize him as an honorary graduate, as he would have been with us." Some members of the class of 2025 were already familiar with Wang's story and the tragic path that led to his posthumous admission. But for many, the details emerged only when his name was announced as an honorary member of the graduating class. From that moment, classmates say, his story became part of the class's shared identity — an enduring example of selflessness and sacrifice. "Now, our whole class knows his story and will take his selfless example of sacrifice with us into our service as commissioned officers in the United States Army," said Metz. For his actions in 2018, Wang was posthumously awarded the Medal of Heroism by the U.S. Army, the highest award given to Army JROTC and ROTC cadets whose performance "involved the acceptance of danger and extraordinary responsibilities." Junior ROTC cadets Alaina Petty and Martin Duque, who were also killed during the shooting, also received the medal. "Peter demonstrated the characteristics and attributes we seek out of graduates of the Naval Academy or West Point," retired Lt. Gen. Robert Caslen told CBS News in May. Caslen, who was the superintendent of West Point in 2018, authorized Wang's entry into the class of 2025. He added, "Individuals like Peter are exactly the men and women you want leading America's youth in combat situations, the fact that he demonstrated that at his age says a lot about him which is why we made him an honorary member of the class."
Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
National Guard sets up outside Washington's Union Station
The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world's population sees AP journalism every day.
