Moultrie County Illinois Schools Calendar

Three school districts serve the roughly 2,000 students who live in Moultrie County, and none of them is confined to it. Sullivan Community Unit School District 300 is the county’s home district, Okaw Valley Community Unit School District 302 spreads from Bethany and Findlay into neighboring Shelby and Macon counties, and Arthur Community Unit School District 305 reaches into Moultrie County to bring in the village of Lovington. That cross-county structure is the most distinctive thing about the calendar here, since a family’s dates depend on which district’s boundary they live inside rather than on the county line.

School District Structure in Moultrie County

Illinois organizes schools into locally governed districts, and Moultrie County does not have a county-wide school board. Each of the three districts is led by an elected board of education and a superintendent, and each adopts its own calendar.

Sullivan CUSD 300 is based at 725 N. Main Street in Sullivan, the county seat. It operates Sullivan Elementary School (pre-K through fourth grade), Sullivan Middle School (fifth through eighth grade), and Sullivan High School. It is the largest district within the county and the one most closely tied to the courthouse-square community of Sullivan.

Okaw Valley CUSD 302 was created in 2001 when the school districts of Bethany and Findlay consolidated. Its elementary school and high school are in Bethany, and its middle school is in Findlay. The district covers parts of Moultrie, Shelby, and Macon counties, roughly 20 miles southeast of Decatur, and the communities it serves are primarily farming towns.

Arthur CUSD 305, also called Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond, is headquartered in Arthur in Douglas County. Its Lovington Grade School, at 330 S. High Street, is the part of the district inside Moultrie County. Students from Lovington continue on to the district’s schools in Douglas County, so their calendar follows Arthur’s.

Moultrie County is rural, with Sullivan the only community of any size, so transportation and weather play a larger role in scheduling than they would in a city system. If you are unsure which district serves your address, call the nearest central office before relying on any calendar you find online.

Academic Calendar Structure

Moultrie County districts generally start in mid-August and finish in late May. Each board sets its own dates, and they are not always identical, so a Sullivan family and a Bethany family may have different first days. Most schools use a two-semester year, with the first semester ending before winter break and the second running through May. Elementary grades often report in quarters or trimesters, while the high schools use quarter or semester grades. Check your child’s handbook for exact grading windows.

Illinois requires at least 176 student attendance days. Sullivan, Okaw Valley, and Arthur each build their calendars to meet that number and include time for teacher institute days and possible emergency closures.

Bell times vary by building. Sullivan’s elementary, middle, and high schools operate on separate schedules at the north end of town, while Okaw Valley coordinates start times across its Bethany and Findlay buildings. Because Okaw Valley students ride buses between towns, its schedule is shaped by route lengths. Confirm times each August, since routes and bell schedules can change.

School Holidays and Breaks

Moultrie County calendars share a core set of breaks with some local differences.

• Labor Day: the first Monday in September.
• Fall Break: some Illinois districts schedule a short break around a long October weekend. Not every district in the county does.
• Thanksgiving Break: at least Thursday and Friday, often with additional days attached.
• Winter Break: about two weeks around Christmas and New Year’s Day.
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day: a no-school day in January.
• Presidents’ Day: observed by most districts, sometimes paired with an institute day.
• Spring Break: typically one week in late March or April.
• Memorial Day: the last Monday in May.

Exact dates shift each year, so rely on the board-adopted calendar for the current school year.

Parents who compare central Illinois counties may find it helpful to read the Morgan County schools calendar and the Moultrie County schools calendar side by side, since Morgan has a larger city system in Jacksonville alongside smaller rural districts, while Moultrie’s three districts are each tied to a small town and cross county lines in ways that make confirming your assigned district essential.

How to Find the Official Moultrie County School Calendar

The official calendar is on the website of the district that serves your child: Sullivan CUSD 300, Okaw Valley CUSD 302, or Arthur CUSD 305. Look under “District,” “Parents,” “Families,” or “Calendar” menus, where a PDF of the board-approved version is usually posted.

Boards typically adopt the next year’s calendar in the spring, and revisions are sometimes made afterward, so check the posting date on any PDF and the board minutes if the dates look different from what a neighbor told you. Illinois districts also work with the regional office of education, which helps verify that required attendance days are met.

Individual schools keep their own events calendars for concerts, conferences, field days, and athletics. The district calendar tells you when school is open, and the building calendar tells you what is happening inside it.

Early Release Days, Teacher Workdays, and Professional Development

Illinois teachers have institute days and professional development days built into the year, and these are scheduled when students are not in class. Teachers in all three districts report before students return in August for planning and training, and some districts add non-attendance days in the fall and winter.

Parent-teacher conferences are scheduled in the fall and sometimes again in spring, and some districts release students early on those days. Early dismissals for weather or staff training are announced through the district’s website, messaging system, and notes sent home. Illinois also requires certain staff training topics, such as mandated reporter and safety training, which districts fold into institute days.

Emergency Closures and Weather Days

Moultrie County sits on open central Illinois prairie, where winter storms, drifting snow, and ice can close rural roads even when snowfall is modest. Superintendents usually decide on closures or delays in the early morning after checking road conditions, wind chill, and reports from bus drivers and county highway crews. Because Okaw Valley and Arthur each span several counties, their superintendents consider conditions across a wider area.

Illinois allows districts to use remote learning days for weather in some circumstances, and districts also schedule emergency days that are added to the end of the year when needed. State law allows emergency days to be waived or counted with approval from the regional superintendent in certain cases, so a closure does not always extend the school year.

Closures are announced through each district’s alert system, website, and social media. Local coverage comes from the Moultrie County News Progress in Sullivan, the Herald & Review in Decatur, and central Illinois television stations WAND, WCIA, and WICD.

Graduation and End-of-Year Schedule

High school final exams usually take place in the week before winter break and again in the last week of the school year. Sullivan High School and Okaw Valley High School each hold commencement in late May or early June, generally at their own campuses, and Arthur’s high school holds its own ceremony in Douglas County. Elementary and middle schools hold recognition events during the final days of school.

Report cards are issued at the end of each grading period, and parents can check grades through the district’s online portal between report cards. Contact your child’s school office for login help.

Back-to-School and Registration Information

Registration is handled by the district serving your address. New families can contact the central office or use the online enrollment link on the district’s website. Illinois requires proof of residency, a certified birth certificate, and up-to-date immunization records, along with required health exam documentation for certain grades.

Supply lists are typically posted on school websites in July, and open houses or registration days are held in early August. Families who live near Lovington, Findlay, or the Shelby County line should confirm which district serves their address before enrolling.

Special Programs and Their Calendar Implications

Sullivan Elementary includes pre-kindergarten, and early childhood programs may follow a schedule that differs from the K-12 calendar. High school students in career and technical courses often travel to a partner program, and class times may differ from the home school. Dual-credit options through area community colleges follow the college’s calendar for exams and deadlines, so students should ask a counselor about conflicts. Families interested in remote or hybrid options should confirm which calendar applies.

Athletics and Extracurricular Calendar Context

High school athletics and activities in Moultrie County are governed by the Illinois High School Association (IHSA). Sullivan High School competes in the Lincoln Prairie Conference, and its middle school participates in the Junior High Okaw Valley Conference under the Illinois Elementary School Association. Schedules are set by the association and conferences, separate from the academic calendar. Fall practices begin before classes resume in August, and winter tournaments can overlap with exam periods or weather makeup days. Each school’s athletic page lists current schedules.

State-Level Calendar Requirements and How Illinois Law Governs Moultrie County

The Illinois State Board of Education oversees school calendars at the state level, and state law requires at least 176 student attendance days in the school year. Within that framework, each district’s board decides its start and end dates, the placement of breaks, and how to schedule institute and emergency days. Regional offices of education review calendars, and state law sets the process for requesting waivers after major disruptions.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does school start in Moultrie County, Illinois?
Most districts start in mid-August. Check the adopted calendar for Sullivan, Okaw Valley, or Arthur for the exact first day.

When does school get out for summer in Moultrie County?
Classes typically end in late May, followed by graduation. Emergency days can push the last day later.

How many days are in a school year in Moultrie County?
Illinois requires at least 176 student attendance days, and each district builds its calendar to meet that number.

How do I find out if school is cancelled today in Moultrie County?
Watch for your district’s alerts, check its website and social media, and look for announcements from the Moultrie County News Progress, the Herald & Review, and WAND, WCIA, or WICD.

What is the spring break schedule for Moultrie County schools?
Spring break is typically one week in late March or April, and the week can differ by district. Verify it on your district’s calendar.

How do I enroll my child in Moultrie County schools?
Contact the district serving your address and have proof of residency, a birth certificate, immunization records, and any required health exam forms ready.

Are there any year-round schools in Moultrie County?
No. The public school districts serving Moultrie County follow a traditional August-to-May calendar.

Who do I contact about school calendar questions in Moultrie County?
Call the central office of your school district, or the front office of your child’s school for building-level events.