Wednesday, March 18, 2026
LCUSD#9 families,
We’ve officially entered the homestretch! As we begin the fourth quarter of the 25-26 school year, please be reminded of the importance of regular daily attendance and work completion. Regular attendance and a positive work ethic are two of the greatest predictors of success in school and life. We want all of our Greyhounds to find success in and out of our classrooms.
Annual State Assessments - Our team is in the process of administering our annual state assessments at grades 3-8. These Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) tests are an opportunity for our 3rd through 8th grade students to showcase both personal growth and their proficiency with their grade level content. Did you know that last year Lebanon students performed above the state average proficiency in all three areas (ELA, Math, and Science)? Lebanon students met or exceeded state proficiency standards at the following rates in 2025:
ELA - 59.7% (State Avg. 54.4% in ELA)
Math - 41.5% (State Avg. 36.8% in Math)
LCUSD#9 was below the state average in ‘22 & ‘23, so this is the second year in a row that our students have exceeded the state average in math.
Science - 47.8% (State Avg. 45.6% in Science)
On Tuesday, April 14th, seniors will get a day off of school, as our juniors take the ACT and our freshmen and sophomores take the PSAT.
We are looking forward to seeing what our Greyhounds can do during this 2026 testing season! Our administrators and their staff members are trying their best to incentivize our students’ best efforts and limit any possible distractions which would keep students from focusing on the tests.
5 Essentials Survey Reminder - The Illinois 5 Essentials Survey window has closed for 2026. Thank you to all who took surveys and helped us reach our targets. Here were the goal response rates and our actual numbers:
Student Response Rate Goal: 50% (95-100%) LES: 100% LJHS/LHS: 100%
Teacher Response Rate Goal: 50% LES: 81% LJHS/LHS: 72%
Parent Response Rate Goal: 20% LES: 30% LJHS/LHS: 22%
We appreciate those of you who took the survey to help us reach the 20% parent threshold! If you would still like to give input on areas that our school district is doing well or has room for improvement, please consider taking the Needs Assessment Survey in the next couple of weeks. This survey will remain open until we return from Spring Break on Tuesday, April 7th.
School Safety - In lieu of attaching the draft of my March Superintendent’s Report, which I will present to our board of education at this month’s meeting, I thought I would clarify my thought process on the notification of parents/guardians regarding perceived or potential threats. If we ever have a credible threat to school safety, parents/guardians will be communicated with in a timely manner. Sometimes even when there is no credible threat to school safety, I will elect to communicate with parents either proactively (first choice) or unfortunately sometimes reactively if the rumor or discipline situation has caused a substantial disruption to the learning environment. I believe that in my short time at LCUSD#9, I have demonstrated a genuine concern for student and staff safety and a willingness to communicate as transparently as possible.
Occasionally, there are instances involving students that are not directly related to school. While these police investigations require communication and collaboration with the school district, they are not necessarily our investigations. LCUSD#9 will always cooperate with local law enforcement regarding ongoing investigations, in the interest of safety. Please understand that if we ever receive any information indicating that student or school safety could be compromised, we would follow our safety protocols, followed by a follow-up communication to families. We’re aware of and respect the difficult jobs Chief Roth and his officers with the Lebanon Police Department have, and we appreciate all they do to keep our schools and community safe. If you ever have a concern regarding school safety, please don’t hesitate reaching out to my office or local law enforcement.
I’ll continue sending monthly updates throughout the remainder of the school year to keep you informed about district-wide news, highlights, and important dates. You should also be hearing regularly from your child’s teachers and building principals with more timely and specific updates. As always, if I can ever be of assistance to you or your student, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Go Greyhounds!
Educationally yours,
Matt Noyes, Ed.D.
LCUSD#9 Superintendent
Important Dates & Information
3/17-3/20 - Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) Testing (Grades 3-8)
3/18 - 4:30 - HS Baseball at Home
3/19 - 3:30 - Scholar Bowl at Home
3/20 - 7:00 - District-Wide Talent Show
3/26 - 6:00 - March Board of Education Meeting
3/27 - 4:30 - HS Baseball at Home
3/28 - Athletic Booster Club Mouse Races Fundraiser
3/30 - 4/6 - No School March 30 - April 6 (Spring Break)
4/7 - 4:00 - Jr. High Track & Field Hosting Meet at Mater Dei
4/7 - 6:30 - Band Booster Club Meeting
4/8 - 4:00 - Jr. High Soccer at Home
4/8 - 6:30 - Jr. High Sports Banquet (Volleyball & Bowling)
4/9 - 4:30 - HS Baseball at Home
4/10 - PTO Skate Night for LES
4/13 - 4:30 - HS Baseball at Home
4/13 - 6:00 - PTO Meeting at LES
4/14 - ACT/PSAT Testing Day (Seniors do not report to school.)
4/16 - 4:30 - HS Baseball at Home
4/17-4/18 - Spring Musical (Annie)
4/20 - 4:30 - HS Baseball at Home
4/22 - 7:00 - All Bands Spring Concert
4/23 - 4:00 - Jr. High Soccer at Home
4/23 - 4:30 - HS Baseball at Home
4/23 - 6:00 - April Board of Education Meeting
4/24 - 4th Quarter Mid-Term
4/25 - LHS Prom
4/28 - 6:00 - HS Baseball vs New Athens @ Grizzlies Stadium
4/28 - 7:30 - LHS Academic Awards Night
4/30 - 4:30 - HS Baseball at Home
4/30 - 6:00 - National Junior Honor Society Induction for LJHS
5/1 - 7:00 - Jr. High Spring Dance
6/1-6/4 - 4th Annual Lebanon Greyhounds Summer Basketball Camp
Repeat Information / Reminders
Needs Assessment Survey - please click here to take the needs assessment survey if you haven’t had a chance to do so yet.
Lebanon CUSD#9 2025-2026 School Information
25-26 School Calendar - daily dismissal times are listed at the bottom of the calendar.
School Times for the 2025-2026 School Year
LJHS/LHS - 7:45-2:38 (7:45-1:15 on Wednesdays) - 11:00am on ½ Days
LES - 8:00-2:45 (8:00-1:30 on Wednesdays) - 11:15am on ½ Days
School Fees
School fees for the 2025-2026 school year have changed and are found on the registration page on the district website. These fees should be paid on My School Bucks or by dropping a check off in the office at your earliest convenience.
Important Health Information & Reminders
All Kindergarten, Sixth Grade, and Ninth Grade students (along with any students who are new to the district) will need to have a current physical and immunizations on file for the 25-26 school year.
All Kindergarten, Second Grade, Sixth Grade, and Ninth Grade students will need to have a current dental exam on file for the 25-26 school year.
Please make sure to get all physicals, immunization records, and dental exams to the school nurse as soon as possible!
School Nurse - Mrs. Kelli Hilmes, khilmes@lcusd9.org
618-537-4423 (ext. 441 at LES & ext. 202 at JH/HS)