East Aurora Public School District 131

East Aurora Public School District 131 (also known as Aurora Public Schools: East Side) is a public school district serving kindergarten through high school students in Aurora, Illinois. East Aurora School District 131 is considered the state's first public school district.

According to the 2016 Illinois State Report Card, the district had a total enrollment of 14,659 students. There are 12 elementary schools, three middle schools, one magnet academy (grades three through eight), two early childhood centers and East Aurora High School, all within Aurora city limits. The interim superintendents of East Aurora School District 131 are Dr. Marion Hoyda and Dr. Mark McDonald. The school board president is Annette Johnson.

The district is bounded by the county line between DuPage County and Kane County to the east, the county line between Kendall County and Kane County to the south, the Fox River to the west and the border with the neighboring West Aurora and Batavia School Districts to the north.

According to "The Educational History of Illinois", private subscription schools were taught by various teachers on the East Side starting in 1834. The first school in what would later become East Aurora School District 131 opened in 1836 at East Galena and Broadway. The school was subscription based. In 1839, a new school was built near Broadway and Claim Street.

East Aurora became a charter district on April 30, 1847, and was officially recognized by the state in 1851. The district became the first free school system in Illinois under a special act of legislature in 1851, two years before the state's free school laws passed. That same year, a two-story school was built with Merwin Tabor as principal. The first grade schools were built four years later.

The first class from East Aurora High School graduated in 1867. In 1878, East Aurora High School formed the first high school orchestra in the country. The first kindergarten opened in 1890 and, in 1903, the district started a school for deaf children.

There are several East Aurora School District 131 schools that no longer exist, including: New York Street School (1851-1864), Center School (1866-1957), First Indian Creek School (1870-1899), Indian Creek School (1899-1957), D.W. Young School (1875-1956), First Oak Park School (1887-1923) and Marion Avenue School (1889-1929).

According to the 2016 Illinois State report cards, there are 14,659 students enrolled in East Aurora School District 131. Of those students, 86.6 percent are Hispanic, 7.7 percent are black, 3.2 percent are white, .6 percent are Asian, .4 percent are American Indian and 1.4 percent are categorized as one or more races.

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