Nearly 1,100 students in Woodridge School District 68 are in need of school supplies, according to the Village of Woodridge, which is running a community supply drive to help. That drive is one of several things parents across Downers Grove, Woodridge, and Westmont should know as the 2026-2027 school year approaches.
Supply drive accepting donations through August 6
The Village of Woodridge is collecting school supplies for District 68 students through Wednesday, August 6. Three drop-off locations are open:
- Village Hall, 5 Plaza Drive
- Old National Bank, 3540 Hobson Road
- St. Scholastica, 7800 Janes Avenue
The drive needs backpacks, wide-ruled spiral notebooks, pocket folders, pencil boxes and pouches, pencils, black-ink pens, broad and narrow markers, colored pencils (12 count), scissors (5-inch sharp point, not blunt), yellow highlighters, large erasers, glue sticks, 3-ring binders (1-inch and 1.5-inch), composition notebooks, and TI-30 Texas Instruments calculators.
Illinois sales tax holiday runs August 7–16
Illinois is bringing back a state sales tax holiday on school supplies. The tax-free window runs Thursday, August 7 through Saturday, August 16, according to USA Today. Clothing and footwear priced at $125 or less qualify, and school supplies including backpacks, calculators, and study materials are tax-free with no price cap.
For families stocking up on items like the TI-30 calculators on the Woodridge drive's wish list, the timing lines up: the tax holiday begins one day after the supply drive ends.
New cyberbullying law applies starting this school year
A new Illinois law that took effect Wednesday, July 1 expands the definition of cyberbullying in schools to include unauthorized "digital replicas" created through AI or other technology. The law also adds posting or distributing sexually explicit images to the state's bullying definition. The change applies to all elementary and high schools starting with the 2026-27 school year, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Parents at Downers Grove North, Downers Grove South, and schools across Districts 58, 68, and CUSD 201 can expect updated student handbooks reflecting the broader definition.
New courses and hires at Westmont CUSD 201
Westmont CUSD 201 approved several changes heading into the new year. At its Tuesday, May 19 board meeting, the district greenlit Honors Spanish 6 at Westmont High School. At its Tuesday, June 16 meeting, the board approved a Frog Street Pre-K curriculum for the district's youngest learners.
The district also hired two new special education teachers: Brooke Davis at Miller School ($60,771 salary, Bachelors Step 2) and Viviana Medina at Manning ($79,671, Masters Step 5), according to the June 16 board agenda.
Duck Dash and other community events
The Woodridge Rotary Club hosts its 2nd Annual Back-to-School Duck Dash on Friday, August 15 at Cajun Creek Lazy River at Cypress Cove in Woodridge. Rubber duck adoptions cost $10, with cash prizes for winners.
The Village of Woodridge is also hiring a school crossing guard for the intersection of Woodridge Drive and Zurich Court at John L. Sipley Elementary School. The position pays $23 per shift for morning (7:45–8:45 a.m.) and afternoon (2:30–3:30 p.m.) shifts. Applications are at governmentjobs.com/careers/woodridgeil.
