Henry-Stark Counties Special Education District #801

08/31/2026

What. A. Week, last week. 💛

After months of planning, preparing, waiting, and anticipating, our Wings Academy staff was ECSTATIC to finally get inside our new HIVE! 🏫🐝

This past week, our incredible team has been working diligently to turn a brand-new building into a SCHOOL—and not just any school, but a place where our students will feel welcomed, supported, safe, and loved.

Our staff explored their new spaces, checked out the playground, unpacked boxes, organized classrooms, assembled equipment, and moved in ALL the things it takes to open a brand-new school!

And when we say all the things, we mean ALL. THE. THINGS. 😄

✏️ From the simplest pencils, scissors, and glue…
📚 to curriculum and instructional materials…
🧩 to sensory and adaptive equipment…
🏃 to gross motor equipment…
🩺 to medical and specialized equipment…
📦 and what felt like approximately a MILLION boxes in between!

This AMAZING group of people accomplished something extraordinary this week.

Starting a school from the ground up takes more than supplies, furniture, and a beautiful new building. It takes people—and we could not feel more blessed to begin this journey with such a compassionate, dedicated, flexible, hardworking, and collaborative team.

To our Wings Academy “worker bees” 🐝—THANK YOU! Thank you for lifting, carrying, unpacking, organizing, problem-solving, laughing, helping one another, and doing whatever needed to be done to get our Hive ready for our students.

Every box unpacked and every classroom prepared brings us one step closer to the moment we have all been waiting for…

Welcoming our students HOME to the Hive! 💛🐝

We are getting SO close!

🐝 MANY BEES. ONE HIVE. 🐝

***Stay tuned for upcoming information about Open House opportunities and the Ribbon Cutting ceremony!

08/21/2026

What a great first full week of school for all of our area schools! Our learners have been busy getting back into routines, reconnecting with friends, and embracing all the excitement that comes with a new school year.

We at Henry Stark would like to wish everyone a very happy and healthy year filled with learning, growing, and wonderful new experiences! 📚🍎

Here’s to a fantastic school year ahead! 💙

07/20/2026

07/06/2026

We are lucky to have such great community friends in Chrissy and Dylan. Wings Academy students will benefit for many years to come thanks to your very generous donation!

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Chrissy Smith and her son, Dylan, for their incredibly generous $5,000 donation to Wings Academy, made on behalf of their family in Dylan's name.

This gift is so much more than a donation—it is an investment in the future of our students and in the mission of Wings Academy. Because of Dylan's family's kindness, we will be able to continue creating opportunities for our students to learn, grow, and thrive.

As part of our sponsorship program, individual gifts of $5,000 or more receive naming rights for a dedicated space at Wings Academy. We are especially excited to recognize Dylan in a place that holds special meaning to him. The playground—one of his favorite places, where he has spent countless happy moments enjoying one of his favorite activities, swinging—will proudly be named, in part, in his honor.

We hope that every child who plays there will experience the same joy, laughter, and sense of freedom that Dylan has found on those swings. It is a beautiful way to celebrate him while inspiring future generations of students.

From everyone at Wings Academy, thank you for your extraordinary generosity, your belief in our mission, and for allowing us to honor Dylan in such a meaningful way. Your family's kindness will be reflected in the smiles of our students for years to come. 💙🛝🐝

Pictured: Kim Johnson, Wings Administrator
Dylan Tibbs, Honoree
Casey Miller, Executive Director, Henry Stark Counties Special Education

07/01/2026

Join our team and make a difference in the lives of students every day! We are currently hiring Paraprofessionals & Teachers for school year 2026-2027.

If you're passionate about supporting students, working alongside dedicated educators, and making a positive impact in your community, we'd love to hear from you!

✅ Competitive benefits
✅ Meaningful work
✅ Supportive team environment
✅ Opportunities to make a lasting difference

Apply today and help us inspire, support, and empower every student.

📍 Positions available Co-op Wide!

Visit our website at hscsed.org and select Jobs to view the dashboard and apply. We can't wait to welcome you to our team!

05/21/2026

As another school year comes to a close, we want to thank our incredible staff, students, and families for all of their hard work, dedication, and support throughout the year.

We wish everyone a safe, relaxing, and well-deserved summer break filled with fun, laughter, and time to recharge. Enjoy every moment, and we look forward to welcoming you back for another great year ahead!

Happy Summer! ☀️📚

04/20/2026

We’re looking for School Social Workers! 🍎

Join our team and make a meaningful impact by supporting students’ social, emotional, and academic success every day.

Join our team! HSCSED.org/jobs

04/08/2026

Today, our fantastic contractor Ringland-Johnson Construction partnered with the local Kiwanis Club to provide students interested in construction with a tour and hands-on experience at an active job site.

At Henry Stark, we are continually impressed by the professionalism and genuine care demonstrated by RJC. Their commitment to giving back to our community further reinforces that they were the perfect choice for this project!

Thank you to the Kiwanis Club for organizing this opportunity, and to Wethersfield and Kewanee High Schools for helping give these students a valuable firsthand experience.