Shelbyville Community Unit School District 4 announced on Apr. 21 that the graduation ceremony for the Class of 2025 will take place on Saturday, May 16, at Shelbyville High School’s football field starting at 7:00 p.m., weather permitting. If inclement weather occurs, the event will move to the high school gymnasium.
The ceremony is significant as it marks a milestone for graduating seniors and their families. The district said there will be no limit on guests or spectators attending the event. Spectators may sit in bleachers or along the east and west sides of the field and are encouraged to bring lawn chairs. Tents or items that could obstruct views are not allowed.
Music for the event will be provided by Sound Source Music Center, with performances by the band under teacher Mrs. Charity Astrouski’s direction. Hart Media Group’s WSVZ Cruisin’ 98.3 will broadcast the ceremony live on radio, and Half Moon Digital will produce a professional video to be shared after editing is complete.
Graduates will sit at midfield while receiving diploma cases on stage; certified diplomas and other materials can be collected afterward at a designated area near school entrances. Seniors in National Honor Society may wear NHS cords and specialized tassels during commencement with prior approval from administration required for any additional regalia.
Shelbyville Community Unit School District 4 represents Shelby County schools including Main Street Elementary School, Moulton Elementary School, Shelbyville High School, and Shelbyville Kindergarten Center according to Illinois Report Card. The district enrolled 1,190 students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade during the 2019-2020 year according to Illinois Report Card.
The district had an average per-student spending of $15,568 in fiscal year 2020 with total expenditures reaching $18,526,253 according to Illinois Report Card. Demographically, its student body is predominantly White (95.6 percent), with smaller percentages identifying as Black (0.6 percent), Hispanic (1.8 percent), or Asian (0.7 percent) according to ISBE.
In terms of staffing statistics reported by state education officials, there were a total of eighty-eight teachers earning an average salary of $53,412 before pension contributions; women make up about four-fifths of faculty members according to Illinois Report Card. No teachers had more than ten absences in one academic year according to these records.
For student attendance concerns in recent years: forty-six students were classified as chronically truant—meaning they missed five percent or more school days without valid excuse—resulting in a chronic truancy rate below state averages at just under four percent according to Illinois State Board of Education data.
