Gower Middle School students suspended 5 times in 2023-24 school year

Gower Middle School reported five suspensions during the 2023-24 school year, according to the Illinois Report Card.

In total, there were five disciplinary actions recorded during the school year, representing a rate of approximately 1.3 incidents per 100 of the school's enrolled students.

Only male students were subject to disciplinary actions, a rate of approximately 2.5 incidents per 100 male students.

All five suspensions issued in the Gower Middle School schools involved elementary or middle school students.

The only student suspended during the 2023-24 school year in Gower Middle School was Hispanic, who made up 17.3% population.

Gower Middle School is located in the Gower School District 62, and has a main office in Burr Ridge.

Illinois allocated $8.6 billion to K-12 education in its 2025 budget—a $350 million increase over FY 2024, meeting the minimum required under the state’s school funding formula.

In 2024, Illinois registered a teacher retention rate of almost 90%. Yet, around 91% of superintendents reported having a 'serious' problem teacher shortage problem. In total, almost 4,100 teaching positions remained vacant by the end of the year.

“They’re putting a substitute in there, that’s somebody with a four-year degree that’s not in teaching. They’re using a retired teacher…or worse than that, they’re canceling the class, putting the kids in other classrooms, putting them in study hall, but those are strategies we have to use if there’s no qualified teacher,” said Beth Crider, regional superintendent of Peoria County Regional Office of Education #48.

Type of Incident	In-School Suspension	Out-of-School Suspension
Alcohol	-	-
Violence with injury	-	-
Violence without injury	-	-
Drug offenses	-	-
Firearm	-	-
Other dangerous weapons	-	-
Tobacco	-	-
Other reason	-	5
Total	0	5

Duration	In-School Suspension	Out-of-School Suspension
One day or less	-	-
1-2 days	-	2
2-3 days	-	1
3-4 days	-	1
4-10 days	-	1
More than 10 days	-	-