Education Matters: Belleville schools talk safety as Cahokia construction continues
Welcome to another edition of our new column, Education Matters.
With Halloween on the horizon, we have a lot of local family-friendly events coming up, and, as always, a lot of recognitions coming out of metro-east schools.
We also have updates on some stories we’ve been reporting on for awhile: Safety and security in the aftermath of two firearms being found at Belleville high schools and the new Cahokia High School construction.
Let’s get started:
Safety conversations continue at Belleville 201 meeting
A number of parents spoke at Monday evening’s Belleville 201 board meeting about safety concerns in the wake of two separate incidents in which firearms were found at the high schools.
On Sept. 16, a loaded weapon was found at Belleville West High School and then, two weeks later, a firearm was found at Belleville East. In both cases, the students accused of bringing the weapons to school were quickly isolated from other students and searched, at which point law enforcement seized the firearms, news releases from the Belleville Police Department and school district say.
Both students were charged with aggravated unlawful use of weapon, a class 4 felony, and are in custody at the St. Clair County Juvenile Detention Center, Belleville Police Chief Matt Eiskant said.
After the initial incident, Jessica Kile, a Millstadt parent whose daughter attends Belleville West, started an online petition to install metal detectors at the school. She was one of the parents who attended Monday’s meeting.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, President of Emergency Planning Solutions Mark Bagby explained that schools cannot rely on metal detectors alone, and talked about harmful impacts of schools looking like prisons.
“Metal detectors, wands, etc. are a deterrent and only one piece of a uniform security policy and plan, they must be used all day and evening to be truly effective, including after school events and special events,” Bagby said. “Training and drills, door alarms, cameras, unlockable first floor windows and adherence to policy must be added to this to be effective, otherwise metal detectors just become a false Band-Aid and a waste of money.”
The board did not take any action in direct response to these issues, but president Mike Eiskant told attendees “the board is taking everything very seriously and under advisement. We are discussing many layers of plans on top of what we already do, so in the near future, there will be more information that we can potentially share publically with everybody.”
Cahokia construction update
BND Photojournalist Josh Carter and I recently toured the site of the new Cahokia High School with the construction crew, architects, Superintendent Curtis McCall Jr. and Project Manager Ed Hightower.
The 180,000-square-foot high school and its athletic facilities are set to be completed by the end of June 2026. By the end of October, the high school’s roof will be done, according to the project leaders.
The updated school will allow Cahokia High to expand its Career and Technical Education (CTE) programming, which will include auto-mechanic, auto-body, wood and construction, culinary, business and agriculture. The school will have ample traditional classroom space, two gyms, science labs and prep rooms, a weight room and more.
“This building will be a beacon of hope for all the students who come through,” McCall said.
Honor Roll
- This week (Oct. 20-24) is Principal Appreciation Week in Illinois and National School Bus Safety Week. It’s the perfect time to thank your principals and bus drivers!
- Belleville East High School senior Paige Trudt’s essay “Redemption in the Count of Monte Cristo: A Tale of Growing Up” can be read by people across the world when it’s published in the October National English Honor Society Online Museletter.
- Belleville East’s October Students of the Month are freshman Zoey Jimenez, sophomore Nalani Doyle, junior Sidney Casella and senior Aurora Jacobs. At East St. Louis’ Gordon Bush Alternative Center, Jasmine Hagens is the high school student of the month and Syllas Renaud is the middle school recipient. Gordon Bush also named student Ta’Niya Walker as a “Bush Bright Spot,” which recognizes staff and students for being “bright spots” in others’ days.
- District 201 recognizes students and staff from one of its three campuses at each regularly-scheduled monthly board meeting. At this month’s meeting on Monday, Belleville West Principal Malcolm Hill recognized senior Jay Naylor, a multi-sport athlete with a perfect 5.0 grade point average, and English teacher Carnetta Chalmers. Chalmers is the founder and director of Belleville West Harambee, a performing arts group that promotes African-American culture, social justice and more. She’ll be retiring soon and will be missed, as evidenced by the students who showered her with flowers and the standing ovation she received at Monday’s meeting.
- Granite City High School was awarded a $2,000 Feed Your Need Grant to update its school library book collection. The Association of Illinois School Librarians and Library Book Selection Service Endowment Fund are behind the grants, which were awarded to 26 total schools this year.
- The NAACP East St. Louis Branch honored four local students with its Rising Star Student Award at its Oct. 12 71st Annual Freedom Fund Banquet. The recipients are Asha Taggart, a 5th grader at James Avant Elementary School in the East St. Louis school district; Cy’Lee Simmons, a 4th grader at East St. Louis’ Paul Laurence Dunbar Elementary School; Charles Spratt, a 7th grader at Cahokia’s Wirth Middle School and Shakira Edmond, a 7th grader at Cahokia’s Wirth Middle School.
- Southwest Area Council (SWAC) union president and Belleville West social studies teacher Cyndi Oberle-Dahm was recently elected Illinois Federation of Teachers executive vice president. Oberle-Dahm was previously IFT’s secretary-treasurer.
Halloween and fall festivals in local schools
- Westhaven’s fall playground party for its families is from 6-7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 23 at the school with a movie, music and more.
- On Friday, Oct. 24 there’s the annual Downtown Belleville Trick-or-Treat from 5:30-7:30 p.m., Boo at Belle Valley Trunk-or-Treat from 5:30-7 p.m., and Signal Hill’s Fall Festival from 6-8 p.m.
- There’s a slew of fall festivities on Saturday, Oct. 25. Cahokia Unit School District 187, the City of Cahokia Heights and Centreville Township is hosting a Trunk-or-Treat Fall Festival at the Cahokia Heights Fitness Center from 3-6 p.m., East St. Louis’ Preston Community Garden Fall Festival is from noon to 4 p.m., Mascoutah has a Maker’s Market in the Park + Trick-or-Treating Event at the Scheve Park AG Building from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. that’s hosted by Gypsy Dreams and Hippie Things, and Moms on A Mission has its 9th Annual Trunk-or-Treat at Dupo American Legion Post #485 from 6-8 p.m.
- East St. Louis’ Wyvetter Younge School of Excellence’s Fire and Frights, parent-teacher conferences combined with fall fun, is from 3:05-6:05 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 30.
- Signal Hill’s Halloween Parade starts at 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31 followed by a Trunk-or-Treat for Signal Hill Junior High students.
- East St. Louis District 189’s parent recognition event is also on Halloween from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Family and Community Engagement Center, 401 Katherine Dunham Place, East St. Louis. Dressing for the Western theme is encouraged.
Other dates to remember:
- The Pontiac William Holliday School District is launching a community engagement effort called “Achieving New Heights” to gather input (including potential solutions) on problems like classroom crowding and aging infrastructure. Tour facilities, learn more about these challenges and give your opinions at one of three upcoming workshop sessions from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 22; Monday, Oct. 27; or Tuesday, Oct. 28 in the Pontiac Junior High (400 Ashland Drive, Fairview Heights) gym. For more information or to RSVP, visit pwhnewheights.com.
- Students in 5th and 6th grade in Granite City School District 9, St. Elizabeth and Holy Family are invited to a SABRE Dance at Grigsby Elementary, 3801 Cargill Rd. in Granite City, from 6-7:45 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 24.
- O’Fallon Township High School Wellness Club’s Blood Drive is Wednesday, Oct. 29 from 12:30-4:30 p.m. in the high school’s multi-purpose room. Appointments can be scheduled online at bloodcenter.org/group with the group number 9987.
Parent Resource Round-Up
- East St. Louis District 189’s Flyers Feeding Families drive-through food pantry starts at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22 at the Gordon Bush Alternative Center, 1516 Gross Ave. in East St. Louis, and goes until supplies runs out.
- Cahokia District 187 is hosting a clothing giveaway from 4-6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22 at Jerome School, 1825 Jerome Lane in Cahokia. There will also be shoes, bags, hats and other accessories.
- Esther’s Free Outdoor Community Giveaway with educational resources, food supplies and more is from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25 at Cahokia High School, 800 Range Lane in Cahokia. Supplies is limited.
- We Care Clinic in East St. Louis has a breast cancer education event on Saturday, Nov. 1. There will be screening information, survivor stories, giveaways and lunch at the clinic, 601 James R. Thompson Blvd. Building D in East St. Louis. Register online at http://bit.ly/3L1WZzt.
ICYMI (In Case You Missed It)
If you haven’t been keeping up with all things education, don’t worry — we’ve rounded up the most important stories locally and beyond!
- In the midst of tumultuous union contract negotiations, the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board recently found Cahokia Unit School District 187 engaged in unfair labor practices at the start of last school year. District administration doesn’t agree with the ruling, but Cahokia Federation of Teachers Local 1252 leadership is celebrating. “The ruling is very important because it validates our rights to have a union and be part of the union without our members being intimidated by the superintendent,” said Union President Wendy Lochmann, who is also a Cahokia High English teacher.
- Also, Cahokia High School canceled its home game tailgates after an allegation that alcohol was on the premises. Superintendent Curtis McCall Jr. said this is the first he’s heard of such an issue, and that the district is re-examining tailgating procedures. On Monday, McCall said he hasn’t decided yet if the tailgate festivities will return for Cahokia’s final home game of the regular season on Friday, Oct. 24.
- We are roughly three weeks into the federal government shut down, and the New York Times explains this gives a preview into what it could look like if the Department of Education is actually eradicated, and how layoffs in particular are impacting our education system.
This story was originally published October 22, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
