With a 6-1 vote in favor, East Peoria Community High School’s two deans have been demoted from their administrative positions and will resume teaching jobs with the district.

After about an hour of deliberation March 3 at a special District 309 board meeting, Robin Goff and Laurie Grant were “reclassified,” said board president Michael Joseph. The decision will take effect July 1.

Students and faculty at an East Peoria Elementary school celebrated the 106th birthday of Theodore “Dr. Seuss” Geisel with a week filled with Seuss-inspired activities.

“To celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday, I’m going to read you a story,” Woodrow Wilson first-grade teacher Shannon Crawford said to students gathered at a morning assembly March 2.

In response to a $40,000 budget shortfall for this year’s March Madness Experience, the East Peoria City Council unanimously approved at its March 2 meeting to give $5,000 to support the annual event.

“The city was asked to step up,” said commissioner Tim Jeffers. “It’s money well invested in our youth and our city.”

The East Peoria boys basketball team’s poise in late-game situations carried it to another victory March 1.

The Raiders outscored Metamora 12-2 in the final 6:10 to post a 47-41 win in the Class 3A Limestone Regional quarterfinals.

No. 4 seed East Peoria was led by Dylan Sparkman’s game-high 17 points, 15 of which came in the second half.

Churning their own
Abigail Hagan, 7, of East Peoria, shakes a container of heavy whipping cream into homemade butter Saturday afternoon at the Fondulac District Library during an American Girl Program.

The program featured the popular book character Kristen, a pioneer girl. The program runs two times a year at the library and features a new American Girl character. About 25 girls took part in the 1850s’-inspired activities.

After more than a year of dust flying and walls going up, construction at Central Junior High School is coming to a close.

“We’ve come a long way in a relatively short amount of time,” said Tony Ingold, superintendent of East Peoria School District 86. “I think we are very pleased with the project itself and how it turned out.”