The Board of Education approved the Norwood Elementary School District 63 calendar for the 2026-2027 academic year at its March meeting. The decision was announced on Mar. 18, and families are advised that one potential adjustment may occur depending on state legislation regarding Election Day in November 2026.
The importance of this update lies in how it could affect the school schedule for students and families. A bill currently under review in Springfield would require all schools to observe Election Day as a non-attendance day if passed.
If the bill is enacted, Election Day will become a non-attendance day, and the last day of school will be extended by one day to compensate. If the bill does not pass, the calendar will remain as approved. The state is expected to make a final decision by June, and district officials have said they will keep the community informed once an official announcement is made from Springfield.
Norwood Elementary School District 63 represents Peoria County and includes both Norwood Elementary School and Norwood Primary School according to Illinois Report Card. The district serves grades pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, enrolling 457 students during the 2019-2020 school year in Bartonville and Peoria County according to Illinois Report Card.
According to the Illinois State Board of Education, there are 35 teachers in Norwood Elementary School District 63 with an average salary of $42,469 before pension contributions; most teachers are women (91.6 percent), while men make up 8.4 percent. No teachers had more than ten absences in a single school year according to Illinois Report Card.
Demographically, Norwood Elementary School District 63 is composed of approximately 79.4 percent White students, with Black students making up 5.7 percent, Hispanic students at 6.6 percent, and Asian students at 0.2 percent according to ISBE. In terms of spending, the district spent $14,424 per student in 2020 for a total expenditure of $6,591,581 according to Illinois Report Card.
Chronic truancy remains below state averages: there were twenty-one chronically truant students enrolled during the 2020 school year—a rate of about 4.6 percent—compared with a statewide average of nearly ten percent according to Illinois Report Card.
The final outcome regarding Election Day’s status as a non-attendance day will depend on legislative action expected by June.
