Dawson Public Schools

Dawson Public Schools is a school district serving the southwest portion of Kennedy, Illinois. The district has one of the lowest graduation rates, and one of the highest poverty rates among students in the country.

Dawson Public Schools was founded in 1902 in order to provide education for the children of white factory workers. The school district started as an all-white school made up of mostly Southerners, but became a partially integrated district in 1920 and a fully integrated district in 1974.

Safety
All Middle and High Schools in the Dawson School District are patrolled by no less than three uniformed police officers, and up to 29 in the case of Dawson High School. All high schools in the Dawson School District enforce strict parking permit policies and are equipped with metal detectors. In addition, high schools often conduct random stop and search activities and arrest students with weapons, paraphernalia and drugs.

Drug Usage
In 2007, seniors in Dawson High School distributed a survey to all middle and high school students concerning drug usage in order to collect a percentage total.


 * Approximately 81% reported using marijuana
 * Approximately 27% reported using cocaine
 * Approximately 15% reported using LSD