High School Junior and Senior parents, we have two field trips next week. Juniors will be heading to ISU next Tuesday for the day. Lunch will be provided. Seniors will be attending the Midwest Central Career Fair on Wednesday during the school day, and will be back in time for lunch. For any questions, feel free to reach out to the counselors.
On Wednesday, September 10th, at 6:30 p.m., the Board of Education will hold a special meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the vacancy on the Board of Education. The agenda for this meeting and all meetings can be found here: https://meetings.boardbook.org/Public/Organization/701.
The Illini Central High School PBIS is hosting an Online Silent Auction for a Premier Parking Spot located in the middle school/high school parking lot. Funds raised from the Online Silent Auction will go towards incentive prizes and field trips for our high school students.
The highest bidder will win a reserved, front-row parking spot with their own personalized sign, located outside the Cougar Den (middle school/high school entrance). This parking spot will be the winning bidder's designated parking spot for all Illini Central events for the 2025-2026 school year.
Bidders must complete the Bidder Profile to bid. Here is the link to the Bidder Profile: https://forms.gle/a9MYePzh2mhXCchf7
Starting bid is $50! Here is the link to bidding: https://forms.gle/1ifazB3CJwfoZfsS6
Bidding closes Friday, September 12th, at 3:00 PM - Winning bid is based on the timestamp upon submission. Here is the link to view the current highest bidder: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ISx9u41N1OfrGEHeIDrBDbkNd1VonGdNwhYM-rY0O-Q/edit?usp=sharing
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Annie Baugher (abaugher@illinicentral.org)
The doors to the middle school and high school hallways and office (Doors A1, A2, and A3) are temporarily closed today due to painting. If you are picking up a middle school or high school student, they will exit from the flagpole door. If you need to come to the middle school/high school office, you will need to enter through the grade school entrance.
We appreciate your patience and flexibility. Thank you!
As we have mentioned before, Illini Central CUSD #189 follows the I Love You Guys Standard Response Protocols, which provide clear and consistent language and actions for responding to various emergencies.
We are required by law to practice a Lockdown so we know how to respond quickly and appropriately in case of a dangerous situation. A lockdown is used if there is a potential threat inside or very near the school. Students move out of sight, remain silent, and do not open the door. During this drill, we will have law enforcement officers on campus during the drill to evaluate our response to this situation. Staff will debrief with students and answer any questions at the end of the drill. We will return students to normal activities as soon as the drill concludes.
This drill is scheduled for the afternoon of September 4, 2025. If you do not want your child to participate, please contact the building principal by September 3rd.
As a reminder, during a Secure or Lockdown, it’s safest not to come to the school, and no one will be allowed in or out of the building. Law enforcement and school staff need to focus on safety and securing the situation. Communication with your child may be limited during the initial stages of a Lockdown. As the situation resolves, students may be able to update parents. In some cases, students may be moved to another site for reunification. We will provide instructions as soon as it is safe to do so.
Please be assured that our top priority is to ensure the safety of all students, and we will then focus on communicating with parents and families. You may not receive notification for brief or low-risk situations (e.g., an animal on the playground), but we will notify families during more serious or extended incidents. Drills will be conducted regularly so students and staff can respond confidently in real emergencies.
We hope you understand why we conduct drills like this one. In the future, we will continue to work to ensure a safe educational environment for your child.
Middle School Cross Country Meet: https://nicoledixon.passgallery.com/-volleyball/gallery
Middle School Golf Meet: https://nicoledixon.passgallery.com/-msgolfmeet/gallery
Thanks to our agreement with N Focus Photography, the district has covered the cost of the images. These images are free for students and families to download and print or share!
Picture day is September 9th and retakes will be October 15th.
If you have any questions, call the ICGS office at 217-482-5180.
The vacancy was created with the resignation of Laura Karker. Ms. Karker’s resignation was tendered on August 22, 2025.
To be eligible for consideration, a person must be at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen, a registered voter, and a resident of District #189 for at least one year prior to appointment.
Any eligible candidate who is interested in being considered for the position must submit a letter of interest detailing the individual’s qualifications and motivation to serve on the Board. A resume is also desired. All information must be hand-delivered to the Illini Central CUSD #189 District Office no later than Friday, September 5th, 2025, at 3:30 pm. The District Office is located at 222 North West Avenue, Mason City, Illinois. District Office hours are 7:30 am-3:30 pm.
Any questions regarding the process should be directed to Superintendent Jennifer Durbin by email at jdurbin@illinicentral.org or by phone at (217) 482-5180.
Items that are available for purchase can be found at this link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UcTBoTsYOBKPwjEOpQmtfk7-fu5wT5YZ5s1YQ-hAU1M/edit?usp=sharing
Interested parties can contact Beth Myers at 217-482-5180 to arrange pickup.
Students can pick their copy up in Mrs. VanTine's room #66.
Members of the Class of 2025 can pick up their copy in the ICHS office.
If you have any questions, call the school at 217-482-5180.
*Promo created by The Class V's Hillarry Thomas
Wednesday, September 10th from 6 to 7 p.m.
I.C.M.S. Family Night
Illini Central has contracted N Focus Photography as our sports photographer this year. While she takes pictures of individual athletes and teams for a fee, the district wanted every athlete to have access to pictures at no cost. The district is paying her to provide action photography at one game for each sport with the intention of taking pictures of all athletes, and as part of the district's contract with N Focus Photography, parents and athletes get access to these pictures free of charge.
Links to the school-sponsored events will be shared as they are completed. So far, we have ICMS Baseball and ICMS Softball galleries ready for families to view and download. When sharing on social media, please be sure to give credit to N Focus Photography.
Baseball: https://nicoledixon.passgallery.com/-icmsbaseballgamecoverage/gallery
Softball: https://nicoledixon.passgallery.com/-icmssoftballgamecoverage/gallery
Today, the Illini Central School District was placed in “secure” status. Administration was contacted by Mason City Police to enter “secure” due to the pursuit of armed burglary suspects headed from Menard County towards Mason City. The suspects were apprehended and placed under arrest. We thank the following departments for their collaborative efforts in ensuring student safety: Mason City Police Department, Athens Police Department, Menard County Police Department, Logan County Police Department, and the Secretary of State Police Department.
The safety of our students and staff is our highest priority. Our school has adopted The “I Love U Guys” Foundation’s Standard Response Protocol (SRP), which provides clear, consistent language and actions for responding to a variety of emergencies. Students and staff are trained and will regularly practice these procedures so that everyone knows how to respond quickly and appropriately.
The SRP includes five specific actions:
Hold – “In Your Room or Area” - Used to keep hallways clear during situations such as medical emergencies. Students stay in their classroom or area until given the “All Clear,” and learning continues as usual.
Secure – “Get Inside. Lock Outside Doors” - Called when there is a safety concern outside the building (e.g., police activity in the neighborhood). Everyone comes inside, doors are locked, and activities continue indoors.
Lockdown – “Locks, Lights, Out of Sight” - Used if there is a potential threat inside or very near the school. Students move out of sight, remain silent, and do not open the door.
Evacuate – “To a Location” - Used when it’s safer to move students and staff to another location, such as during a fire or other hazard inside the building.
Shelter – “Hazard and Safety Strategy” - Used for specific hazards like tornadoes, earthquakes, or hazardous materials. Students follow the appropriate safety strategy (e.g., drop, cover, and hold for earthquakes).
During a Secure or Lockdown, it’s generally safest not to come to the school, and no one will be allowed in or out of the building. Law enforcement and school staff need to focus on safety and securing the situation. Communication with your child may be limited during the initial stages of a Lockdown. As the situation resolves, students may be able to update parents. In some cases, students may be moved to another site for reunification. We will provide instructions as soon as it is safe to do so.
Please know that our first priority is to make sure all students are safe, and then we will focus on communicating with parents and families. You may not receive notification for brief or low-risk situations (e.g., an animal on the playground), but we will notify families during more serious or extended incidents. Drills will be conducted regularly so students and staff can respond confidently in real emergencies.
For more details, you can review the full Standard Response Protocol Parent Guide here: http://iloveuguys.org. The graphic included is the same graphic that is displayed throughout our building.
Thank you for partnering with us to keep our school community safe.
