Cass School District 63 Earns State Recognition

received three distinctions last week among Illinois Schools: The Illinois State Board of Education’s highest financial recognition; its Academic Excellence Award; and SchoolSearch's Bright Red Apple Award.

Superintendent Dr. Kerry Foderaro said he was “extremely proud of the students’ accomplishments, the supportive school families, staff, the building administrators, the Board of Education and the school community.” 

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) uses a School District Financial Profile System to rate each district in five areas: fund balances, revenue ratio, expenditures, amount of cash on hand and short/long term borrowing.

Each category is weighted and the sum indicates the score received by the district, with 4.0 being the highest and 1.0 the lowest, according to the ISBE website. 

The resulting score correlates to one of four financial ratings (from highest to lowest): Recognition, Review, Early Warning and Watch. Each profile determines the level of monitoring and/or involvement necessary from ISBE.  

Cass School District 63 ranked in the category of Financial Recognition, which indicates the greatest financial strength. ( has also earned the highest rating.) 

Both District 63 schools also received the Illinois State Academic Excellence Award. Out of nearly 5,000 schools in Illinois, only 459 made this honor roll. and are among 159 schools who have earned it more than three times. 

The criteria for the ISBE’s Academic Excellence Award stipulate that for the three most recent consecutive years, 90 percent of students should have met or exceeded reading and math standards, with the condition that adequate progress has been made annually during each of the last two years. 

SchoolSearch’s Bright Red Apple Award was given to only 73 out of 868 school districts. The award is based on five measurable components that are most important to families: academic performance, teacher/student ratio, expenditure per student, teacher salary and the level of teachers’ education.

District 63 has the further distinction of earning either the Bright Red Apple or Bright A+ Award 14 times over the last 12 years. (The Bright A+ Award is given to those districts whose students ranked in the top fifth percentile out of Illinois school districts.)

Cass Junior High School Principal Paul Bleuher offered some insight into the reasons for these accomplishments.

“The bar is set high within the district, the schools and in the students’ homes,” Bleuher said. “It’s a combination of logistics, achievement and behavior. And the staff never rests on their laurels.”

He echoed Foderaro’s sentiment that praised the achievement of the entire school community, especially on the heels of budget cuts the district has realized along with so many other Illinois school districts.

Foderaro described the level of commitment from everyone involved in all aspects of the students’ education as “a climate for success.”