Peoria County has announced the return of its Bison Trek Digital Passport, updated for the America 250 celebration. The initiative features large fiberglass bison sculptures, each decorated by local artists, which will be displayed at various locations throughout Peoria County until July 4, 2026.
This year’s display includes both returning sculptures and new additions. Among the newcomers are a bison at Orthodontics, Ltd., created by artist Ilva McBrayer, and another at Philippi-Hagenbuch, Inc., crafted by Harry Sidebotham.
Participants in the Bison Trek are encouraged to take photos with each sculpture and log their visits using the digital passport system. Each visit unlocks a new digital badge tied to that specific bison.
“We’re thrilled to bring back Bison Trek in celebration of America’s 250th birthday,” said James C. Dillon, Peoria County Board Chairperson. “Bison Trek is a fun way to discover and recognize some of the businesses, organizations, and artists that make Peoria County a great place to work, live, and play.”
Registration for the program is free. More information can be found on the county’s website at https://www.peoriacounty.gov/1314/America-250-Bison-Trek.
Peoria County continues to serve a diverse community through its schools as well. In the 2022-23 school year, there were 27,081 students enrolled across county schools with an average student-to-teacher ratio of 15-to-1 (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Home.aspx). Teacher absenteeism was recorded at 32.3%, slightly below Illinois’ state average (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Home.aspx). Enrollment data from that year shows Dunlap High School had the highest number of white students with 873; Richwoods High School had the largest multiracial student enrollment at 182; Lincoln School led in Hispanic student enrollment with 218; and Peoria High School recorded the highest Black student enrollment with 798 (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Home.aspx).
