Two main school systems have served the Kane County, Illinois core location of Aurora, Illinois since the 1860s, one on either side of the Fox River which physically divides the city. In addition, the far eastern portion of Aurora, within DuPage County, Illinois, has been served by Indian Prairie School District (IPSD) 204 since that district's formation in 1972. All three of these districts (Aurora Public Schools: West Side, Aurora Public Schools: East Side and IPSD) have their headquarters and administrative offices in Aurora city limits. As of 2005 there will be no less than forty public schools within Aurora city limits, serving residents of Aurora and neighboring communities.

Due to the sheer size of the city of Aurora, these are not the only three school systems serving residents - some students in the far north end of the city attend Batavia, Illinois public schools, and some students in the far south end of the city attend Oswego, Illinois public schools. For this article, the districts are listed in alphabetical order.

East Aurora Public Schools

East Side District 131 has a long history serving students in Aurora. It is bounded by the county line between DuPage County and Kane County to the east, the county line between Kendall County and Kane County to the south, the Fox River to the west and the border with the neighboring West Aurora and Batavia School Districts to the north. There are twelve elementary schools, three middle schools, one middle school academy, and two East Side High School campuses, all within Aurora city limits.

• Elementary Schools
  • O.C. Allen Elementary
  • C. M. Bardwell Elementary
  • Beaupre Elementary
  • Brady Elementary
  • Dieterich Elementary
  • Gates Elementary
  • Hermes Elementary
  • Johnson Elementary
  • Krug Elementary
  • Oak Park Elementary
  • O'Donnell Elementary
  • Rollins Elementary

• Middle Schools
  • Aurora Middle School Academy
  • Cowherd Middle School
  • Simmons Middle School
  • Waldo Middle School

• High School
  • East Aurora High School (with campuses on Tomcat Lane (main campus) and Root Street)

Indian Prairie School District 204

This is the youngest of the three main districts serving Aurora. It was formed in 1972 by the mergers of Wheatland Elementary District 40, Granger Elementary District 90 and Indian Plains Elementary District 182. Students from Aurora, Naperville and Bolingbrook attend District 204 schools. Currently seven elementary schools, two middle schools, one high school, and one alternative high school are in Aurora city limits.

• Elementary Schools
  • Prairie Children Preschool
  • Brooks Elementary School
  • Georgetown Elementary School
  • Gombert Elementary School
  • McCarty Elementary School
  • Steck Elementary School
  • Young Elementary School

• Middle Schools
  • Granger Middle School
  • Still Middle School

• High School
  • Indian Plains Alternative High School
  • Waubonsie Valley High School

West Aurora Public Schools

West Side District 129 has a tradition going back to the 1860s. The West Side High School and East Side High Schools have played an annual football game against each other since 1893. The present "West Side" school district covers the city of Aurora with an eastern boundary of the Fox River, a southern boundary of the Kane County and Kendall County, a western boundary of Aurora's city limits, and a northern boundary of the village limits of North Aurora, Illinois. The West Side District is presently the only one of the three major districts serving Aurora to own and operate its own fleet of School Buses (IPSD has a contract agreement with Laidlaw and East Side District 131 does not operate any school buses). Students from Aurora, North Aurora, and Montgomery, Illinois attend West Aurora schools. In the following list, all schools are within Aurora city limits unless otherwise indicated.

• Elementary Schools
  • Harold G. Fearn Elementary (North Aurora, Illinois)
  • Joseph H. Freeman Elementary
  • Lucia Goodwin Elementary (North Aurora, Illinois)
  • A. V. Greenman Elementary
  • Frank H. Hall Elementary
  • Nancy Hill Elementary
  • Abraham Lincoln Elementary
  • Wayne McCleery Elementary
  • Grace Nicholson Elementary (Montgomery, Illinois)
  • J. P. Schneider Elementary (North Aurora, Illinois)
  • Gertrude Scott Smith Elementary
  • Mary Todd Early Childhood Center

• Middle Schools
  • Robert Herget Middle School (opening August, 2005)
  • Thomas Jefferson Middle School
  • Gary D. Jewel Middle School (North Aurora, Illinois)
  • George Washington Middle School

• High School
  • West Aurora High School

• Special Education
  • Hope D. Wall School (run in cooperation with East Side District 131)

External Links

• Indian Prairie School District 204 Official Site
• West Aurora District 129 Official Site
• East Aurora District 131 Official Site

References

• History of District 204 and Clow Elementary School, Naperville, Illinois
• Historical Background on Names of District 129 Schools