Marching into the new school year: Class is back in session in District 211

The 2023-24 school year in the suburbs kicked off Monday morning with the return of students to the five schools of Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211.

Several other school districts across the suburbs resume classes this week. Among them is Elgin Area School District U-46, which will welcome back more than 35,000 kindergartners through 12th-graders to its 53 schools Tuesday.

The state’s second-largest school district, for the first time in nearly a decade, has a new superintendent — Suzanne Johnson, a U-46 graduate and previously deputy superintendent of instruction. Johnson replaced Tony Sanders who in February became the state superintendent of education.

Also, roughly 1,200 students collectively are returning to Batavia Unit District 101 and Geneva Unit District 304 schools Wednesday.

Seniors at Palatine High School honored tradition Monday by starting the new year with a triumphant march from the campus football stadium to the school building.

The year ahead promises to be a big one at all five District 211 campuses, including at Hoffman Estates High School, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary over the next nine months.

Members of the class of 2024 are those whose freshman years began amid ongoing COVID-19 mitigations like remote learning, social distancing, upended extracurricular and sports schedules, and masks in the classroom.