Regional Office of Education #26

08/28/2026

🎉 Today’s the day, Macomb! 🎉

Come out to the Downtown Block Party for an evening of FREE fun for students, families, and our entire community! 🎶🎈

📍 Chandler Park
📅 TODAY — Friday, August 28
⏰ 4:30–6:30 p.m.

Enjoy live music, games, a foam party, petting zoo, fire truck, snow cones, a chicken lip eating contest, and so much more!

🌟 Bring your family, invite your friends, and come celebrate our community!

08/27/2026

Congratulations to Spoon River Valley CUSD #4's Jennifer Burdette for being named the National Rural Teacher of the Year by National Rural Education Association!

We are beyond excited to share that our Illinois Rural Teacher of the Year, Jennifer Burdette from Spoon River Valley CUSD #4, has been named the NATIONAL Rural Teacher of the Year by the National Rural Education Association! 🎉 Learn more: https://airssedu.org/post/jennifer-burdette-national-toy-2026/

08/25/2026

🎓 Congratulations, Isabelle! 🎉

We are excited to celebrate Isabelle Waller, the first ROYALS student of the 2026–2027 school year to meet her graduation requirements! 🌟

Isabelle’s achievement represents the hard work, determination, and perseverance it takes to reach an important milestone like this. We are incredibly proud to celebrate her success and all that she has accomplished through the ROYALS program.

Please join us in congratulating Isabelle and wishing her all the best as she takes her next steps! 💜🎓

Way to go, Isabelle! Your ROYALS family is proud of you!

08/20/2026

08/19/2026

Save the Date: Champions of Education 2027! 🌟

ROE #26 is excited to announce the 2nd Annual Champions of Education celebration!

📅 Thursday, May 20, 2027
⏰ 4:30–7:00 PM
📍 Park Place | 127 E. Carroll St., Macomb

Join us for a special evening dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the outstanding educators who make a difference every day in the schools and communities throughout ROE #26.

Know an educator who deserves to be celebrated? 🏆

Start thinking about the amazing educators you know! Nomination information will be coming soon, along with details about how you can recognize a deserving educator who goes above and beyond for students, colleagues, schools, and communities.

For now, save the date and stay tuned! We can't wait to celebrate the incredible people who make education in our region so special. 💜💛

08/17/2026

Be sure to join us for our second annual conference! We will have more information and registration soon.

Save the date for our second annual conference! We will have more information and registration soon.

08/16/2026

That’s a wrap on our Back to School tour! 🎉

Our ROE 26 Project STAY IN and LEAP Program staff had an amazing time rounding out our school supply events at Ingersoll Middle School, Spoon River Valley, and Astoria School Districts.

Seeing all the smiling faces and getting our students equipped for a fantastic year ahead makes it all worth it.

A huge thank you to everyone who stopped by, and to our dedicated staff and local school communities for making these events a success! Here’s to a strong, supported school year! 📚✨

08/14/2026

What a fantastic day at the 2nd Annual McDonough County Back to School Event!

Because of our incredible community, 322 students and their families are heading into the new school year prepared with school supplies, confident with new haircuts, and ready to learn.

Together, we were able to provide:

💈 51 Free Haircuts
🩺 41 Physicals & Immunizations

Beyond the numbers, events like this make a real difference in the lives families. One mom shared her story with us today: After recently graduating college and starting a new job, she lost her health insurance. Her son needed a physical to start school, but it was going to cost $600 out-of-pocket. She didn't have that money. Thanks to this event, her son got the care he needed to start school on time and saved her family a huge financial burden while they look for new insurance. 💙

A massive THANK YOU to our partner organizations & volunteers:
We could not do this vital work without your generosity, care, and dedication to McDonough County families:

🏥 McDonough District Hospital
🩺 McDonough County Health Department
🦷 EagleView Mobile Dental Clinic

Lastly, our incredible volunteer hairdressers — who stepped up at the very last minute when we faced a cancellation to make sure our kids looked and felt their best!

Wendy Pyles with Rustic Charm(Macomb), Jana Walker(LEAP Advocate), Natasha Nguyen-Butler with Michael's(Macomb), Ashley Wallace with Shear Edge Salon(Bushnell), Craig Sloan with Craig's Hair(Macomb), Kayla Mountain, and Chris Meyer with Manbehindthechair(Macomb)

Here’s to a safe, healthy, and successful school year for all our students! 🎒✨

08/14/2026

ROE26 will be at Ingersoll Middle School today (August 14) for the Back to School Bash from 4:30pm-6:00pm.

Come on out to say hi and pick up school supplies and hygiene bags!
We hope to see you there!