Orrington Elementary School, home of the Eagles, focuses on helping students become engaged members of their community. The staff is composed of highly trained professionals, including a special education teacher, an English as a second language teacher, a speech-language pathologist and a reading specialist, ensuring that every student receives the best learning experience.

The school hosts several events throughout the year and is well-known for its Fun Run.

“The Fun Run is a fundraiser for Orrington where students from each grade level run around the track for three to five minutes,” said second-grade teacher and PTA representative Eric Blum.

The event also involves a teacher raffle, which allows students to build relationships with their teachers.

“Teachers donate something, like breakfast with Mr. Blum, lunch at the beach with Ms. Stamates or art projects with Mr. Likhite, and the students put raffle tickets into bowls,” said Blum.

Beyond these events, Orrington excels academically. Students’ average state test scores are higher than the state average, and the school received an “exemplary” rating on its 2025 Illinois report card. Its ranking fluctuates between #1 and #2 in the district, and it is currently ranked 165th out of thousands of Illinois elementary schools.

Orrington’s community is tight-knit, with a strong commitment to supporting one another. When the school’s beloved head custodian, Mitch Boursiquot, passed away, community members held a celebration of life in his honor, painting rocks with kind words and phrases to reflect his generous spirit. Today, Orrington continues to embody that spirit, fostering a culture of kindness, collaboration and support.