Education

Taylorville Community Unit School District #3 is 272 square miles in size making it one of the largest school districts in Illinois (17th). Although the district is distinctly rural with nearly 90% of the land area in agricultural production it is also heavily influenced by two metropolitan areas, Springfield and Decatur.

The district houses 2,682 students in five buildings. Students in grades 9, 10, 11 and 12 (834) attend Taylorville High School; Students in grades 5, 6, 7, and 8 (749) attend Taylorville Junior High School; Students in grades K, 1, and 2 (429) attend North Elementary School; Students in grades Pre K, 3 and 4 attend Memorial Elementary School; Students in Pre K K, 1, 2, 3 and 4 (263) residing in the Stonington boundary will attend Stonington Elementary.

Pana Community School District No. 8 includes two elementary schools, a middle school, a junior high school, and a high school. Washington Elementary School houses an Early Childhood Special Ed. program, a pre-k program as well as kindergarten and first grade. Lincoln Elementary School houses second grade, third grade, and fourth grade. Jefferson Middle School, located in Tower Hill houses fifth and sixth grade students. Seventh and eighth grade students attend Pana Jr. High.  Ninth grade, tenth grade, eleventh grade and twelfth grade students attend Pana High School. There is also a Pana Learning Center, an alternative school for students to earn a GED. Lake Land College Western Center satellite campus is also located in Pana. There are four private schools in the area.

Lake Land College is proud to partner with the Pana School District to offer educational opportunities to Christian County residents and businesses. At the Lake Land College Western Region Center, located at 600 E. First St. in Pana,

students can take general education, computer and technical/vocational courses. The 6,000-square-foot center hosts a nursing program and shares space with Pana Adult Education.

A community resource area is available to residents who need access to a computer. Community organizations and businesses are welcome to use the Western Region Center for meetings or training opportunities. Lake Land College officials are also active in community organizations and serve on the Christian County Economic Development Corporation. Lake Land partners with businesses throughout the district to offer customized training through the Center for Business and Industry.

Lake Land College is a community college that serves 20,000 students a year. Located in Mattoon, the college offers transfer degrees and technical degrees and certificates. With tuition at about one-quarter of the state universities, the college is an excellent value for those who wish to upgrade skills for promotion, begin a bachelor’s degree or retrain for a new career. The college is recognized nationally for its outstanding academic quality, renewable energy program and its dedication to one-on-one interaction and service to students. 

To learn more about the Western Region Center call 217-562-5000 or to enroll at Lake Land call 217-234-5434. 

Website link: www.lakeland.cc.il.us

Lincoln Land Community College in Taylorville offers educational opportunities close to home! With science, nursing, welding and construction labs, contemporary classrooms and comfortable student gathering spaces, LLCC-Taylorville offers a variety of classes, services and events, and is an important part of LLCC’s sustained commitment to making educational opportunities accessible throughout its 15-county district.

At LLCC-Taylorville students have day and evening options for general education transfer classes and career training. They can also meet with their student success coach, receive enrollment and financial aid assistance, purchase textbooks and participate in student activities. Adult education programs are also offered to help individuals work their way up into college level coursework.

LLCC’s mission is to transform lives and strengthen our communities through learning. This is accomplished through partnerships – with local businesses, who help shape workforce programs to fit their needs, mentor and employ our students; with community organizations, who help with programming and benefit from student philanthropic and volunteer programs; and with schools, to help show students and prepare them for their future possibilities.

Area high school juniors and seniors can get a jump start on earning college credit through LLCC-Taylorville with College Now. Five high schools participate: Taylorville, Nokomis, Morrisonville, Edinburg and South Fork; and nearly 1,000 students have participated since the program’s inception. College Now classes are held during both the fall and spring semesters at LLCC-Taylorville, usually Monday-Thursday from 1-3 p.m.

LLCC’s Springfield campus is conveniently located 30 miles from Taylorville for additional opportunities. The Workforce Institute at LLCC features short-term, hands-on, affordable training for high-demand, high-wage occupations in auto technology, aviation mechanics, commercial electrical maintenance, construction, electrical distribution lineman, hospitality and culinary, HVACR, truck driver training and welding. Training is held in state-of-the-art facilities with convenient start dates. The certificate classes focus on only the trades, and personalized assistance is provided with enrollment, training and job placement.

The Workforce Institute is also home to occupational safety training including OSHA 10, forklift certification, CPR and aerial/scissor lift certification. Individuals can register on their own, or employers can contact LLCC to send a group of employees.

Local businesses looking to invest in their staff can work with LLCC to build customized training programs with real-world applications. The college can conduct an assessment and create programs based on those unique needs. Topics include leadership, soft skills, Microsoft Office, occupational safety, business writing, Auto CAD, QuickBooks, Unmanned aerial systems and more. Training can be held at one of the college’s facilities or at your business.

LLCC is eager to partner with area employers to meet the diverse needs of our communities. 

Please contact Dee Krueger, director, LLCC-Taylorville, at 217-786-2778 or dee.krueger@llcc.edu