History of Fox Lake Grade School District 114

1907

The children of the Village of Fox Lake attended Gavin School District 37 when it was formed in 1844.  When the Village of Fox Lake was incorporated in 1907, 52 residents of the Fox Lake area petitioned the Township School Trustees to detach the territory of the Village from Gavin School District 37.  The request was granted and Fox Lake Grade School District 114 was established.

History of Lotus School District 10

1853

Lotus School District 10 was established in 1853 and housed students in a building known as the Creek School.  The district number was 10-J; the “J” designation was used for school districts that crossed county or township lines.  No territory was added to District 10 until 1955, when 10 acres in Section 32 of McHenry County were detached from Spring Grove Grade School District 11 by the County Board of School Trustees.

1960

An order was entered by W.C. Petty, County Superintendent of Schools, calling for a special census to be taken to determine if a seven-member Board of Education should be elected.  The census revealed that there were 1008 inhabitants in District 10, so an election was called by the County Superintendent (there had to be a minimum of 1000 inhabitants within the geographic boundaries of a school district in order for them to have their own duly elected local officials).

The following seven candidates were elected and seated as District 10’s first Board of Education:

Carl Jelinek, Jr. – President

Harland Roettiger, Secretary

Doris Kephart

Emerson Sander

Evelyn Thompson

Ralph Todey

William Wieczorek

1990

Due to extreme financial difficulties experienced by Lotus School District 10, a joint board petition (Districts 10 and 114) was adopted which allowed for the dissolution of District 10, and for its students to attend a newly expanded District 114.  The joint board petition was granted by the Regional Board of School Trustees on October 29, 1990; this action formalized the annexation of Lotus School District 10 to Fox Lake Grade School District 114. 

*Prepared by William L. Thompson, Former Lake County Superintendent of Schools and

  District 114 Superintendent of Schools