CCSD 181
Back to School
District 181 welcomes students and staff back to school on Tuesday August 18, 2026 . Below is a summary of back-to-school information for the 2026-27 school year.
- The First Day of school is Tuesday, August 18, 2026
- Middle School Back-To-School Event is August 11, 2026
Register for School: Families of students who were enrolled with District 181 last year must complete the Current/Returning Student Registration process outlined on the Registration page. Families that are new to the district must complete the New Student Registration Process outlined on the Registration page.
Transportation Services: Bus routes and schedule details for the upcoming school year will be available in Skyward Family Access. Please log in to review your student’s assigned pick-up and drop-off times. CCSD 181 contracts regular student transportation services through First Student, Inc. If you have general transportation questions or need assistance, please contact your school office or email Lupita Telleza at Ltellez@d181.org.
Set Up Dining Account (Middle School): District 181 lunch is cashless, so all students will be required to set up a dining account to deposit funds and make lunch payments.
For more information, see Cafeteria Page.
Free and Reduced Meals: Students may be eligible to receive free/reduced price meals. If you think you may be eligible, please review the Income Eligibility Guidelines and complete the Free/Reduced Meals Application.
2026-27 School Year Calendar
Key Dates:
- August 11: Middle School Back-To-School Event
- August 18: First Day of Student Attendance
- November 23-24: Parent Teacher Conferences
- November 25-27: Thanksgiving Holiday
- December 21 - January 1: Winter Break
- March 29- April 2: Spring Break
- May 28: Last Day of Student Attendance
Bell Schedule
Report an Absence
The school calendar is established prior to the start of the current school year. While we realize the value of family time, the planning of vacations while school is in session is strongly discouraged. If students will be absent from school due to vacation, parents must complete a special absence notification form and return it to school before the absence. Assignments and completion dates will be given after the absence as determined by the teacher. Teachers will not be required to re-teach material missed by students. If a planned absence will occur at the end of a grading period, students may be required to submit all work before leaving on the planned absence.
Click here to Report an Absence
Curriculum Night
Each school holds a Curriculum Night early in the fall, where classroom teachers discuss curriculum and grade level expectations with parents. Parents are encouraged to attend this important event.
2026-27 School Supply Lists
Find school supply lists HERE.
Health Examination and Immunization Requirements
Click here to view an overview of all D181 Health/Immunization Registration Requirements. All requirement exams and forms are due on or before the first day of school.
District 181 Student Handbook
The District 181 handbook (Elementary Handbook and Middle School Handbook) provides useful information about District 181’s policies, procedures, resources, and expectations for students. Please take some time to review the handbook with your child(ren) and reference it throughout the year.
Updated school handbooks will be released later this summer. A notification will be sent out when the new handbooks are available to be reviewed.
Communications
District 181 values communication between families and staff. Each school sends a newsletter and regular updates to families. In addition, the District office publishes a monthly newsletter celebrating student/staff accomplishments and informing our community of key initiatives. Beginning July 1, 2026, D181 is using ParentSquare to send all district and building level communications to families. Families will continue to receive these messages via via email. Families are also encouraged to download the FREE ParentSquare app to find these messages in one convenient spot. For Board of Education communications, visit the BOE webpage.
Channels of Communication
Should concerns or questions arise, please address them with the first line of contact as shown below.
- Individual students and classrooms: Contact: Teacher > Principal > Superintendent > Board of Education
- Individual schools and neighborhoods: Contact: Principal > Superintendent > Board of Education
- Curriculum and District instructional practices: Contact: Principal > Assistant Superintendent of Learning > Superintendent > Board of Education
- Identification or support of students who may require special education and related services, additional accommodations and/or other supports, or interventions: Contact: Pupil Services Administrators assigned to your child’s school > Principal > Assistant Superintendent of Learning > Superintendent > Board of Education
- District budget, safety, environmental issues: Contact: Assistant Superintendent of Business Services and Treasurer > Superintendent > Board of Education
- District policy issues: Contact: Superintendent > Board of Education
Registration information
Learn more about District 181 Student Registration here. Use the links below to access Skyward Family Access and SchoolPay.
New Families
We are pleased and excited to welcome you to the District 181 community. If you are new to the district and have not yet enrolled your child, please do so as soon as possible in order to help us plan for the school year.
One of the most important things that parents will need to bring when enrolling their child for the first time is a certified copy or an original birth certificate for their child or children, and all required documents to prove residency. You can view a list of all the documents required to verify residency at the above links.
Transportation/Bussing
Bus routes and schedule details for the upcoming school year will be available in Skyward Family Access. Please log in to review your student’s assigned pick-up and drop-off times.
CCSD 181 contracts regular student transportation services through First Student, Inc. If you have general transportation questions or need assistance, please contact your school office or email Lupita Telleza at Ltellez@d181.org.
Food Service & Cafeteria
D181 Students are required to set up a dining account. Scan the QR code below to download the cafeteria app. Visit the Cafeteria page to learn more.
Parent Resources
Visit your schools Parent Resources page to access information such as student activities, field trips, report card distribution, sport schedules/info and more.
Elm | Madison | Monroe | Oak | Prospect | The Lane | Walker | HMS | CHMS
Teacher Assignments and Student Schedules
Teacher assignments and student schedules will be released in before the first day of school.
Parent Teacher Organizations (PTO)
District 181 is fortunate to have strong partnerships with parents. Each of the District’s nine schools have Parent Teacher Organizations (PTOs). They are dynamic supportive parent organizations that share the goals of enhancing the educational experience for all students and fostering communication between home and school. All parents will receive information about joining the PTO for the coming school year.