District 58, composed of 11 neighborhood elementary schools and two middle schools, is frequently referred to as a "family" by parents and faculty within its nurturing educational environment. The district draws students from Downers Grove and parts of Oak Brook, Westmont, Woodridge and Darien.
More than 92 percent of District 58 students met or exceeded standards on the 2009 Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT). In addition, all 13 buildings made Adequate Yearly Progress as defined by the NCLB and seven schools -- Belle Aire, Highland, Hillcrest, Lester, Pierce Downer, Whittier and Herrick -- received state Academic Excellence awards for sustained high ISAT performance.
All District 58 schools have Learning Resource Centers and LRC directors. District teachers boast an average 13.9 years of experience, and 60.1 percent hold at least a master's degree. Teacher salaries average $69,708 and administrator salaries average $113,882, both of which exceed the state average. In the 2007-08 school year, District 58 spent $6,337 per pupil on instruction and $11,343 per pupil on operating expenditures. Property taxes account for 58.7 percent of the district's $54,283 budget.
District 58 is governed by a seven-member school board elected to four-year terms. Current members are John Cooper, Elizabeth Davis, Steve Funk, John Miller, Gary Lester, Sallie Lupescu and Scott O'Connell.