Hello! I’m Lisa Small, Superintendent of High School District 211.

Welcome to second semester! 

Our students are off and running - fully immersed in classes, activities and athletics.

Today I’m in the auto lab at Hoffman Estates High School.

This is one of many unique classrooms where students learn lifelong skills through hands-on instruction. That’s what we are all about: extraordinary opportunities and exceptional learning. 

Our automotive career pathway is a great example of how students can explore a future career while in high school, develop a skill for life, or prepare for a college degree opportunity.  

The problem solving, hands-on skills learned in automotive technology are valuable  in multiple fields including manufacturing, diesel engine repair, aviation maintenance and marine technicians just to name a few.  

Our automotive four-year career pathway is not only about exploration.  Students are prepared to take the ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) exams for ASE certification.  This is a nationally recognized automotive mechanic certification showing proof of the technical knowledge our students - as automotive professionals - are able to show future employers. 

You can hear more about the experiences of our automotive students in this newsletter’s Highlight Video found on this webpage.

The Automotive Service Excellence certification is one of many industry certifications that are available to our students in our high schools.  We also have certification pathways available in areas such as culinary; preschool education; computer networking, security and repair; multiple advanced manufacturing certifications; Microsoft Office; Quickbooks; accounting bookkeeper; Lifeguarding; and certified nursing assistants.  A true range of opportunities for our students. 

As our schools and coursework continue to evolve, our focus remains on college and career preparation.  Both are important as we work with 12,000 students who have diverse stories and will forge a variety of paths. You can read more about our college and career readiness goals in our Strategic Plan, which is linked in this newsletter.

Our mission is to serve the needs of all our students through relevant, rigorous learning experiences and strong support systems that empower everyone to reach their full potential.

We are proud to have both career advisors and college and career counselors in each school who are available to meet with students to prepare them for their future. To make an appointment, visit your school’s Student Services office in person or online. The link is below. 

Please be sure to check all the links in this newsletter for important resources, videos, photos and District 211 news stories.

We look forward to an outstanding semester and thank you for being a part of our District 211 learning community creating extraordinary opportunities for students!