School begins in just a few short days, and we are excited to have students back in the building!  As we near the start of school, we wanted to share some important information with our families and community.

Important Dates for August:

The school's doors open at 7:35 am. School begins promptly at 8:00 am.  Walkers, bikers, and car riders should not arrive at school before 7:35 am.  Crossing guards are in place by 7:30 am to ensure students can cross safely.

Buses will drop off in front of the middle/high school (on the east side), and students will enter through Door A1. Only buses are allowed to use the lane in front of the MS/HS past the flagpole.

Students who walk to school will only enter through the main entrance of the middle/high school (Door A1).

Students who ride their bikes to school will need to make sure their bikes are secured on the bike rack. Bike riders will also enter through Door A1.

Students who ride in a car to school may be dropped off at the Grade School Entrance starting at 7:35 a.m. The bus lane in front of the high school is designated for buses only.

Breakfast is served from 7:35 to 8:00 am. Once students are in the building, they can eat breakfast (FREE!) in the cafeteria. Students who do not choose to eat breakfast will go to the Cougar Center (GS) and the HS Gym (MS and HS).

Students should not be dropped off on North West Avenue or Pine Street.

If a student is dropped off between 8:00 am and 3:00 pm, they should be dropped off at the main entrance of their building.

School is dismissed at 3:00 pm on days not announced in advance.

Afternoon pick-ups will be at the Grade School entrance for all students. If you are picking up a student, drivers will form three lines in the parking lot from Chestnut Street towards the GS entrance. You must wait for your child to be sent to your vehicle as you pull up to the front of the line. To maintain a safe and orderly environment, please follow the directions of the staff directing students and traffic. Due to the tight vehicle turnaround, parents are discouraged from picking up students with trailers or campers attached.

For safety reasons, parents should not park at the Mason City Public Library. This poses a safety concern, as students are difficult to see walking through parked cars, and it causes a traffic jam when cars attempt to exit from both directions.

Walkers will be dismissed from the flagpole door (I1) and the main entrance of the middle and high school.

Parents should not park on North West Avenue or Pine Street to pick up students. This is a safety concern as students are challenging to see walking in and out of cars. Please follow the procedures for car pick-up.

Students riding buses will be picked up in the bus lane along the sidewalk on the building's east side.

Middle and high school students picking up grade school students will meet them in the Atrium at the new GS entrance and exit back through the high school.

Once a month, school will start at 9:30 am to allow staff to have time for professional development.  Those dates are: 9/16/26, 10/21/26, 12/9/26, 1/13/27, 2/10/27, 4/14/27, 5/12/27.

School will begin at 9:30 am, and all times will be 1 1/2 hours later.  A delayed start means school will start 1 1/2 hours later (9:30 am).  Bus pickup is 1 ½ hours after the regularly scheduled pickup time. 

PreK will follow the PreK Calendar.  LTEC and Special Education routes will run as scheduled.

Doors to the school will open at 9:05 am.  Crossing guards will be in place beginning at 9:00 am.

High school and Middle school classes will run on an adjusted schedule.

Breakfast will still be provided, but it will be a quick snack rather than a full breakfast, since lunch is so soon after arrival.

*****9:30 Late Starts for Winter Weather are a little different.  For information on those, please read this letter.  

Did you know you can track your bus and its location?  With the Zonar MyView app, you can view a real-time, map-based bus locator. You can create custom zones for each stop and send alerts to your device. 

Download the Zonar MyView app and create your account.  The access code for Illini Central is IC189. You will need to log on to your Skyward account to access your student's ID number and bus code.  To find the bus code, click on Transportation. There are two routes for each student: one for the morning (AM) and one for the afternoon (PM).  

The Illini Central App is the storehouse of all information for Illini Central. It provides notifications about upcoming events, cancellations, and more. It also includes information pertinent to the school's daily operations, such as contact information and the cafeteria menu. The app is available to anyone who wants information about the district.

“Rooms” is a two-way communication for teachers and guardians. Teachers and parents can message and communicate with each other about their students’ progress. Rooms can be accessed through the Illini Central app or on the website by logging in from the top right corner. Rooms is only available for guardians.

Skyward was upgraded over the summer, and we are still working through some of the kinks.  

If you notice any incorrect information, please call the office and have it updated.  If information changes throughout the year (new address, new phone, etc.), please call the office to make the changes.  

Remember, only those individuals listed in Skyward as emergency contacts may pick up your student from school.  Please review this information and notify us of any adjustments that need to be made.

If your student is absent or has changes to their daily pick up routine, please make sure to call the office to notify them before 9:00 am.  

Teachers can receive messages throughout the day on Rooms, but they are also busy teaching and not always see messages right away.  The best way to notify the school of any changes is through a phone call to the office.

District Phone: (217) 482-5180

District Calendar

PreK Calendar

District Events Calendar

August Breakfast Menus

August Lunch Menus