Tazewell County Illinois Schools Calendar

Families across central Illinois’s Tazewell County plan their year around more than a dozen separate public school districts, each adopting its own calendar, rather than a single countywide schedule. The county sits just south of Peoria along the Illinois River, with about 130,000 residents, and its public schools enroll roughly 20,000 students across Pekin, Washington, Morton, East Peoria, Tremont, Delavan, Mackinaw, and the smaller communities in between. Because no single calendar covers the whole county, the first step for any parent is knowing which district serves their address.

School District Structure in Tazewell County

Tazewell County is a county in Illinois, with Pekin as its county seat, and its education system is built from many independent districts rather than one countywide board. Illinois organizes schools into elementary districts, high school districts, and unit districts (kindergarten through grade 12). Tazewell County has all three types.

The largest and best-known districts include:

• Pekin Public Schools District 108, the elementary and junior high district serving Pekin, and Pekin Community High School District 303, which operates Pekin Community High School.
• Washington Community Consolidated School District 52 and Washington Community High School District 308, serving the Washington area.
• Morton Community Unit School District 709, a unit district serving Morton.
• East Peoria Community Consolidated School District 86 and East Peoria Community High School District 309.
• Tremont Community Unit School District 702, Delavan Community Unit School District 703, and Deer Creek-Mackinaw Community Unit School District 701, which serve the smaller communities in the county’s rural areas.
• Creve Coeur School District 76 and Spring Lake Community Consolidated School District 606, smaller elementary districts near the river communities.

Each district is governed by its own elected Board of Education, which holds public meetings, usually once or twice a month, in its administrative building. The superintendent in each district runs daily operations and recommends the calendar to the board. Above them is the Tazewell County Regional Office of Education, headed by an elected Regional Superintendent. That office handles school compliance, teacher licensure registration, and certain emergency-day matters, but it does not write any district’s calendar.

The county mixes urban, suburban, and rural conditions. Pekin and East Peoria have a more urban character, Morton and Washington function largely as Peoria-area suburbs, and Tremont, Delavan, and Mackinaw are rural communities where bus routes cover long stretches of farmland. These differences affect start times, transportation, and how flexible a district can be when weather hits.

Academic Calendar Structure

Most Tazewell County districts begin the school year in mid-August and finish in late May or the first week of June. Because the districts act independently, start dates can differ by several days from one town to the next. A family with children in two different districts, for example one in a Pekin elementary school and another at a neighboring high school district, should compare calendars before planning travel.

Most districts divide the year into two semesters, with a first semester ending near winter break in December or just after the new year, and a second semester running through spring. Grade reporting varies. Many elementary schools use trimesters or quarters for report cards, and high schools typically issue semester grades with quarter or progress reports in between.

Illinois requires a school calendar of at least 185 days, of which at least 176 must be pupil attendance days, and those instructional days count toward state requirements. Districts commonly build calendars slightly above the minimum to leave room for emergency closures. Typical school-day schedules run from around 7:45 to 8:30 a.m. at the start and from about 2:45 to 3:45 p.m. at dismissal, depending on the building. High schools often start a bit earlier than elementary schools, though some districts flip that. Confirm bell times with your child’s school, since they change from year to year.

School Holidays and Breaks

Tazewell County districts follow a familiar Midwestern pattern of breaks. Exact dates shift each year, so the official district calendar is the final word.

Labor Day gives students a long weekend in early September. A fall break or a school-improvement day in October is common in some districts. Illinois also treats general Election Day in November as a school holiday, which means schools are closed on that day in the years it falls. Thanksgiving break typically covers the Wednesday through Friday of Thanksgiving week or the full week. Winter break usually lasts about two weeks, spanning Christmas and New Year’s Day.

In January, schools generally close for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Presidents’ Day in February is observed in most districts, and some also close for Lincoln’s Birthday, reflecting the state’s Lincoln heritage. Pulaski Day on the first Monday of March is an Illinois state holiday, and districts differ in whether they use it as a day off. Spring break generally falls in late March or early April, often tied to Easter or the end of a grading period. Memorial Day closes out the year’s holidays right around the final days of school, and Juneteenth may matter only for districts running into mid-June.

Tazewell County districts publish their holiday lists when the board adopts the calendar, so a family can see the full year at a glance well before August.

How to Find the Official Tazewell County School Calendar

Since no single board covers the county, you need to look up the calendar for your own district. The best sources are the district websites for Pekin 108, Pekin 303, Washington 52, Washington 308, Morton 709, East Peoria 86, East Peoria 309, Tremont 702, Delavan 703, and Deer Creek-Mackinaw 701. Search the district name along with “calendar,” or open the district homepage and look under sections labeled “District,” “Parents,” “Families,” or “Community.” Most districts post a downloadable PDF and many also offer a calendar that syncs with phone apps.

Boards generally adopt the next year’s calendar in the spring, sometimes after input from teacher groups and parents. Draft versions sometimes appear in board meeting packets a month or two earlier, which gives families an early look. Each school building may also post its own supplemental calendar for concerts, parent-teacher conferences, picture days, and athletic events.

Early Release Days, Teacher Workdays, and Professional Development

Students do not attend every day on the 185-day calendar. Illinois builds in teacher institute days and workdays that precede the first day of school, along with scattered professional development days, parent-teacher conference days, and records days at the end of a term. Districts in Tazewell County schedule these differently, and some convert them to early dismissal afternoons where students leave around midday while teachers stay for training.

Early release schedules are usually announced in the district calendar, then repeated through school newsletters, automated phone calls, emails, and text alerts. Districts such as Morton and Washington often send reminders through their parent communication apps. Illinois requires certain staff training, including mandated reporter training and other required topics, and districts use institute days to cover these. Parents of young children should check the calendar early, since a half day or a no-school day can mean last-minute childcare arrangements.

For comparison with a district elsewhere in the state, readers who follow northern Illinois schedules can look at the Stephenson county schools calendar, which shows how a county in the state’s far northwest corner lays out its year, while the full Tazewell county schools calendar gathers the breaks, start dates, and district details that apply to families in central Illinois.

Emergency Closures and Weather Days

Central Illinois winters bring snow, ice, and bitter cold, and spring brings severe storms, so closures are a recurring part of life in Tazewell County. Each district superintendent makes the call, often after consulting with transportation staff and neighboring districts. Rural districts with long gravel and county roads, such as Tremont, Delavan, and Deer Creek-Mackinaw, may close or delay more readily than a compact district, since buses must cover drifting roads. Flooding along the Illinois River can occasionally affect roads near Pekin, Creve Coeur, and East Peoria.

Illinois law allows districts to handle lost days in several ways. Some add days at the end of the year, some use built-in buffer days, and many now use e-learning or remote learning days approved under state rules, so a snowstorm does not always mean a lost instructional day. The Regional Office of Education and the Illinois State Board of Education have rules about emergency days, and districts follow their own board-adopted policies.

Closure announcements travel through several channels. Local television stations serving the Peoria market, including WEEK 25, WMBD 31, and WHOI 19, post closing lists, and radio stations such as WMBD carry them as well. Districts also use automated phone calls, text messages, email, social media, and website banners. The Pekin Daily Times and the Peoria Journal Star cover long-running weather closures.

Graduation and End-of-Year Schedule

Final exams at the high school level generally take place in the last week or two before the end of the second semester, with a shortened schedule on exam days. Graduation ceremonies for Pekin Community High School, Washington Community High School, Morton High School, East Peoria Community High School, and the smaller high schools usually take place in May or early June. Ceremonies are held in school gyms, on football fields, or at larger venues in the Peoria area, depending on the school’s size and the weather. Elementary and junior high schools hold promotion or eighth-grade ceremonies in the last days of May.

Report cards are distributed in person, mailed, or released through online portals. Most Tazewell County districts use a student information system for grade access, and parents receive login information through the school office.

Back-to-School and Registration Information

Enrollment and re-enrollment for returning students often opens in late spring or summer, often through an online portal, while new families enroll with the district’s central office or a school secretary. Illinois requires proof of residency, a birth certificate, and up-to-date immunization records. Illinois also requires physical and dental exam documentation for students in certain grades, along with vision exam proof for students entering kindergarten or new to the state. Illinois law permits districts to enroll children whose parents are experiencing homelessness without standard documents.

Districts typically post school supply lists on their websites in July or early August. Many schools hold open houses or meet-the-teacher evenings in the week before classes start, and these appear on the school calendar. If you move into Tazewell County from out of state, contact your district’s enrollment office before August to avoid delays.

Special Programs and Their Calendar Implications

Several programs follow slightly different schedules. High school students in the county can take dual-credit courses through Illinois Central College in East Peoria, which operates on its own college calendar and may start or end at different times than the high school. Career and technical education programs, offered through area career centers and partnerships, can have different daily schedules and transportation arrangements.

Preschool and early childhood programs, including state-funded Preschool for All, sometimes follow separate calendars or half-day schedules. Alternative education programs and virtual learning options vary by district, so families should ask their own district office about the calendar used for those programs.

Athletics and Extracurricular Calendar Context

High school athletics in Tazewell County fall under the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), which sets season start dates, playoff windows, and eligibility rules. School calendars and athletic calendars overlap, but they are not the same thing. Fall sports practice often begins in early August before classes start, and winter sports run through holiday breaks, with practices and games scheduled on days when classes are not in session. Spring sports, such as track and baseball, run into May and sometimes collide with final exams. Conferences in the area, including the Mid-Illini and Mid-Illini/Big 12-style groupings that schools join, set weekly schedules that change from year to year.

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

The Illinois State Board of Education oversees public school standards, and the Illinois School Code sets the minimum calendar. The school year must contain at least 185 days, including at least 176 days of student attendance, and a full day of attendance requires at least five clock hours. Districts may not shorten the year below these floors without a waiver. Local boards have authority over start date, holidays, and the placement of institute and conference days, as long as the state totals are met.

This arrangement explains why neighboring Tazewell County districts publish different calendars while all meeting the same state law. Boards can respond to local preferences, such as aligning with a high school district, matching Peoria-area schedules, or arranging early-release days for professional learning.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does school start in Tazewell County, Illinois?
Most districts begin in mid-August, though the exact first day varies by district. Check the adopted calendar for Pekin, Washington, Morton, East Peoria, or your own district.

When does school get out for summer in Tazewell County?
Classes usually end in late May or early June, depending on the district and how many emergency days were used.

How many days are in a school year in Tazewell County?
Illinois requires a 185-day calendar with at least 176 student attendance days. Individual districts may schedule slightly more.

How do I find out if school is cancelled today in Tazewell County?
Watch WEEK 25, WMBD 31, or WHOI 19, listen to local radio, check your district’s website and social media, and make sure your contact information is current in the district’s notification system.

What is the spring break schedule for Tazewell County schools?
Spring break typically falls in late March or early April and lasts about a week. Dates differ by district, so confirm yours on the board-approved calendar.

How do I enroll my child in Tazewell County schools?
Contact the district that serves your address, then provide proof of residency, a birth certificate, and immunization and health exam records. Many districts accept online registration.

Are there any year-round schools in Tazewell County?
Public schools in the county generally follow a traditional August-to-May calendar rather than a year-round model. Summer programs and extended learning options vary by district.

Who do I contact about school calendar questions in Tazewell County?
Start with your child’s school office or your district’s central office. For broader questions about state compliance, the Tazewell County Regional Office of Education in Pekin can help point you to the right resource.