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East St. Louis SD 189 honored with national Magna Award; district recognized for carbon‑free initiative and facility achievements
Summary
East St. Louis School District 189 was named a grand‑prize winner in the National School Boards Association’s Magna Awards for work on indoor air quality and a five‑year carbon‑reduction plan; the board also heard several facility and student recognitions, including a national tennis‑facility award and state coach honor.
The East St. Louis School District 189 Board of Education heard on April 21 that the district was selected as a grand prize winner in the 31st annual Magna Awards program, a national recognition administered by the National School Boards Association and the American School Board Journal for exemplary district programs.
District officials told the board the honor recognized leadership in improving indoor air quality, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and implementing a carbon‑free schools initiative tied to a five‑year plan to reduce the district’s carbon footprint while achieving energy savings.
The announcement noted that School District 189 was one of only three districts nationwide to receive the top honor this year and that the district’s work appeared in the American School Board Journal’s April issue. The district acknowledged support from the Go Green Initiative and Ameren Illinois for projects that advanced indoor air quality and carbon‑reduction efforts.
Board members also received several other recognitions: the newly constructed six state‑of‑the‑art tennis courts at East St. Louis Senior High School were named a recipient of the 2025 Distinguished Outdoor Tennis Facility Award; Leslie McCorkle, a music educator at East St. Louis Senior High, and regional colleagues were invited to perform at Powell Hall on April 24; head coach Mark Chambers was named Illinois Basketball Coaches Association State Coach of the Year after leading the Flyers to a 33‑4 season and the Class 3A boys state championship; the Lincoln Middle School cheer squad won first place in its division at a March competition; Mason Clark Middle School Student Council was recognized again as an Illinois and national honor council; and several students were named 2026 Racial Harmony Award recipients by the Center for Racial Harmony in Belleville.
During the public‑comment period, Teresa Lyons Flanders, social action chair of the East St. Louis Alumni Chapter, thanked the superintendent for supporting youth‑leadership programs such as Run the City and a voter‑registration day, calling the programs “investments in the future” and presenting a small token of appreciation.
The board did not take action related to the recognitions; the meeting proceeded to routine business and approved the other agenda items on the consent calendar.
