Granite City High School seniors Kwinton Chism and Sophie Davison have been named Students of the Month for February by Granite City Elks Lodge #1063.
The Elks Student of the Month Program aims to recognize young people who show achievement in academics, extracurricular activities, and community service. The program considers students’ leadership skills, moral character, involvement in their communities, participation in clubs or athletics, honors received, and academic performance.
Each recipient is awarded a $100 U.S. savings bond and an Elks certificate of achievement.
Kwinton Chism participates in Renaissance and Spirit Club activities and is an All-Star Cheerleader. He has received the Personal Choice Award and is a Bronze Cheerleading Worlds Medalist. He is the son of James and Melodie Chism.
Sophie Davison is involved with Renaissance, National Honor Society, Spirit Club, Secondary Honors, High Honor Roll, FCA Huddle Leader roles, and has earned the 110% Award. She competes on the golf, basketball, and track & field teams. Davison also volunteers at her church nursery and as a CLC Students Volunteer. She is the daughter of Corby and Gina Davison.
Granite City Community Unit School District 9 serves Madison County with several schools including Granite City High School, Coolidge Junior High School, Frohardt Elementary School, Grigsby Intermediate School, Maryville Elementary School, Mitchell Elementary School, Prather Elementary School, and Wilson Elementary School (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). The district enrolled nearly 6,000 students during the 2019-2020 school year across grades pre-kindergarten through twelve (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).
According to state data from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), about two-thirds of students in Granite City Community Unit School District 9 are White; other represented groups include Black (15.9 percent), Hispanic (11.7 percent), and Asian (0.6 percent) students (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). The district had a chronic truancy rate of 12.6 percent in 2020—higher than the statewide average—meaning more than one out of ten students missed five percent or more school days without valid excuse that year (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).
The district spent $17,739 per student in 2020 for a total expenditure exceeding $106 million that year (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). There are over 300 teachers employed by Granite City Community Unit School District 9; most are women according to ISBE data (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).
For more information about Granite City Community Unit School District #9 visit www.gcsd9.net.
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