Banner Elementary School - Dunlap, IL

Banner Elementary School is a K-5 building in the Dunlap School District located in Central Illinois. Our enrollment is typically around 350 students, including students from different countries. "You Belong Here" and "You Matter" are posted throughout our hallways. Banner can be described as a "family feel" where students are greeted each morning with music blasting and staff giving fist bumps and high fives. We have an upbeat start each and every morning.

Banner families are extremely generous with their time and money. Through partnerships with local charities, our students raise money and collect items to donate. For example, we collected over $5,000 for the Peoria Childrens' Home as well as over 2,500 boxes of macaroni and cheese to give the Peoria South Side Mission last year. Banner houses the district Life Skills program, which naturally provides the general education students with opportunities to interact and help out students with significant cognitive issues.

Banner adheres to the BIST philosophy, which centers around grace and accountability when dealing with students who are missing certain behavior skills. We take the entire school (by grade level) to each common area throughout the building to clearly communicate and demonstrate our expectations. This ranges from how to properly greet adults each morning to appropriate lunchroom behavior. The goal is to create a safe learning environment for all students.

Banner is simply a most welcoming school, which results in students working hard to improve their learning - reaching their hearts to reach their heads.