SOUTH SUBURBAN SCHOOL DISTRICT WILL EXPAND VOCATIONAL PROGRAMS WITH $130,000 DONATION

Nina Graham (front row, second from left), president of the Board of Education for Thornton Township High School District 205, recently accepted a $130,000 donation from the Thornton Alumni Legacy Fund which will be used to create a machine shop program in the district. Photo Credit: Thornton Township High School District 205.
Nina Graham (front row, second from left), president of the Board of Education for Thornton Township High School District 205, recently accepted a $130,000 donation from the Thornton Alumni Legacy Fund which will be used to create a machine shop program in the district. Photo Credit: Thornton Township High School District 205.

South Suburban School District Will Expand Vocational Programs With $130,000 Donation

BY KATHERINE NEWMAN

Thornton Township High School District 205 recently accepted a $130,000 donation from the Thornton Alumni Legacy Fund which will be used to create a Machine Shop Program in the district. This new addition will further support the goals of the district’s Board of Trustees who are committed to developing useful vocational programs for students that will lead them straight into sustainable careers after high school.

The schools that make up Thornton Township High School District 205 are Thornridge High School, Thornton Township High School, and Thornwood High School, all of which will have access to the new Machine Shop Program along with community members who will be able to utilize the program during nights and weekends.

“In education, success looks different for each student. Not everybody is going to be successful in the college career track and not everybody is interested in that college career track but we know that the manufacturing industry is demanding jobs right now and we are going to be able to provide that kind of training and support for students so that by the time they graduate, they can enter the workforce,” said Don Holmes, principal of Thornwood High School.

Data from the Illinois Department of Employment Security shows that by 2026, there will be over 15,000 new jobs added to the state’s manufacturing industry and these jobs typically come with a starting wage of $20.00 an hour.

“I am so excited that the Thornton Alumni Legacy Fund donated $130,000 for our district and for our children,” said Nina Graham, president of the Thornton Township High School District 205 Board of Trustees. “Every child is not going to college and every child doesn’t want to go to college but these vocational jobs pay very well so that is one of our missions right now, to start trying to see how we can bring those vocational programs back.”

The Thornton Alumni Legacy Fund dates back to the 1940s and is made up of former Thornton Township High School students whose vision is to create and sustain their legacy by generating annual funding for Thornton Township High School District 205.

“A lot of this has to do with just the school pride. The alumni come back and they give back to our students in so many different ways. It’s not just limited to them giving money, they’re actively involved in our overall school culture and we see them quite a bit in our buildings. It’s wonderful,” said Ebonie Williams, principal of Thornridge High School.

Once completed, the new machine shop program will open new doors to success for students in Thornton Township.

“A lot of the students will go into very high paying jobs right after high school, or even before they graduate, and then some of them will go off to school and major in things like engineering, so it’s going to be a benefit to them all around,” said Tony Ratliff, principal of Thornton Township Highschool.

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