Sterling Public Schools

According to the Illinois Report Card, 42.2% of students were chronically absent during the 2023-24 school year.

“The Nutcracker” will be performed at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24, at Centennial Auditorium, Sterling High School.

Spearheaded by Sterling FFA Sentinel Kadielynn Nelson and President Grace Wetzell, the group worked with Meals from the Heartland, an organization made up of volunteers who package meals that are then sent to underserved communities.

FFA students from several local high schools work Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, to make easy meals for the underserved.

Timothy Schlegel, a Morrison native, was recently nominated by the state of Illinois for a National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Outstanding Theater Educator Award.

As students across Illinois are starting to bounce back from pandemic disruptions in 2020, Rock Falls’ elementary and secondary school districts are standing out, with students showing the highest increase in English language arts proficiency.

Search our table to see what designation your Carroll, Lee, Ogle or Whiteside county school received on the 2024 school report card.

This week, the Illinois State Board of Education released school- and district-level data showing what percentage of Carroll, Lee, Ogle or Whiteside county students were considered proficient in math and reading last year. Check out this chart to see if that's an improvement.

Battling cancer is a daunting and oftentimes lonely fight. But on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, Washington School’s Peggy Craft was shown she has over 400 students, staff members and teachers lacing up their gloves in a show of love and support.

Adamari Gutierrez hopes to become a physician assistant in either OB/GYN or pediatrics, come back to Sterling and work at CGH.

Students and staff at Washington School in Sterling showed their love and support Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, for teacher's aide Peggy Craft, who is battling cancer.

Keynote speaker will be former U.S. Navy Corpsman Raymond Torres.

The Fulton boys golf team looks to be among the top handful of teams at state in Class 1A, Kaden Brown is Forreston's first at state, and Dixon's Oros and Sterling's Hubbard are set to compete again this weekend at the 2A meet.

Will Ports, a senior, has been named a September student of the month at Sterling High School.

Woodlawn Arts Academy will present its fall musical theater production, Disney-Pixar’s “Finding Nemo Kids," at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11; 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12; and 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 13, at Centennial Auditorium at Sterling High School.

Newman High School Director of Marketing Gehrig Koerner made special mention of the Rock Falls School District, which donated 35,000 items to the program.

Sterling celebrates Hoco 2024 with a parade Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, before meeting Geneseo on the gridiron Friday night.

Sterling Public Schools Superintendent Tad Everett said SPS has been changing its approach to student success and goal setting ever since Lincoln Elementary School and Challand Middle School received “Targeted” Every Student Succeeds Act designations in 2017.

Both districts’ growing attention to ag offerings has been spurred by two things, teachers say: the hands-on nature of ag programs and the lessons students can directly apply to their own lives.

Sterling police say a vehicle, later abandoned in Jefferson school's parking lot, damaged a fence at Sterling High School during a police pursuit early Tuesday morning. Class schedules were not disrupted and students were not in danger from the overnight events, police said.

Sterling High School is trying something new when it comes to deciding the date for next spring's graduation – asking students what they want.

Taste of Fiesta Committee Treasurer Nora Rodriguez said the annual event started in 2010 after the committee assumed responsibility for fiesta events from the Latin American Social Club.

When Sterling Public Schools' students return to school Thursday, Aug. 15, they will notice updates to buildings throughout the district.

Centennial Auditorium/Sterling High School will present “Mean Girls, The Musical” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 26; at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 27; and at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 28.

SPS is nearing the end of its five-year facilities plan, which includes several projects to be completed over the summer.

Sterling's FFA had been using land in Rock Falls; new location will help students get into field more often.

Greg King, a former Sterling High School head football coach and athletic director, has been inducted into the Illinois Athletic Directors Association Hall of Fame.

Man cited after bicycling near Challand Middle School while carrying a BB gun.

Sterling High School graduated its Class of 2024 on Friday, May 24, at Homer Musgrove Fieldhouse.

Sterling high commenced their Class of 2024 Friday, May 24 at Homer Musgrove fieldhouse. The ceremony was moved indoors due to inclement weather.

Armed man, 15-year-old driver charged in traffic stop near high school; second 15-year-old charged in threat investigation.

From Annie to Ali, over 100 third-graders at Sterling's Washington School researched and read to parents and loved ones about famous people in a wax museum style-program.

Sterling High School’s FFA Farmapalooza event worked to educate 2,000 students on all things agriculture Thursday, May 9, 2024.

Sterling High School's FFA Farmapalooza event looked to educate 2,000 students on all things agriculture Thursday, May 9, 2024. Students were invited to explore booths about fishing, livestock, tractors, woodworking and much more to see the far-reaching impact of farmers.

Carter Chance, a Sterling High School senior, is an April Student of the Month. He plans to attend Iowa State University to become an engineer.

The trade show was held Wednesday and Thursday nights, with 31 student-run businesses selling everything from jewelry and video promotions to made-to-order grilled cheese sandwiches.

Through the help of Angelo's Pizza, third graders at Washington School in Sterling used the power of pizza to learn about fractions for an upcoming state test.

Freshmen from 11 area high schools attended a teen leadership summit hosted by the Regional Office of Education on Friday, March 15, 2024, at the McCormick Event Center in Rock Falls. Keynote speaker Dr. Alonzo Kelly led students through exercises meant to explore critical thinking on a deeper level.

Sterling senior's plan is to attend the University of Iowa and major in education.

Sterling senior hopes to become a successful cardiologist and live in the Chicago suburbs.

Sterling High School will present “Newsies, The Musical” on Friday, Feb. 23, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 24, at 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, Feb. 25, at 2 p.m.

Polo and Newman girls basketball each picked up quarterfinal wins Saturday as part of the Class 1A West Carroll Regional. Plus more local results in Saturday's roundup.

Ahhhh, the snow day: A day that begins when students crowd around the TV, or nowadays check social media sites, to see if falling snow, drifting or extremely cold temperatures will let them stay home for the day.

After graduation, Zargoza plans to attend either UIC for civil engineering or UIUC for aerospace engineering.

Owen Anderson, a senior, has been selected a Sterling High School Student of the Month for November.

Scone, a standard poodle, is helping both staff and students cope with stresses of school.

Meet Sterling High School students who have been selected students of the month in the first half of the 2023-2024 school year.

Brecken Peterson is a Student of the Month for December.