WHO WE ARE
Meet the Collective
In 2018, six forward-looking high school superintendents in the southern suburbs of Chicago in Cook County initiated plans to establish a new area career center known as the Southland Career and Technical Education Center that would be located in Park Forest.
In 2022, these educational districts coalesced to form The Collective in charge of establishing the SCTEC:
- Bloom Township High School District 206, Chicago Heights
- Homewood-Flossmoor High School District 233, Flossmoor
- Rich Township High School District 227, Matteson
- Southland College Preparatory High School and Elementary District 162, Richton Park
- Speed Special Education Joint Agreement (SEJA) District 802, Chicago Heights
- Prairie State College District 515, Chicago Heights
The executives were laser focused on providing students and learners with technologically-advanced career and technical education options that have been unavailable for decades in the student- and business-rich south suburbs.
The Collective’s goals included supporting thousands of south suburban learners with real-time, relevant preparation to secure jobs and pursue the technical careers of the future without amassing large amounts of college debt.
SCTEC is scheduled to open to students and the community in the fall of 2029, with instruction beginning across all program areas.
TODAY, MEMBERS OF THE COLLECTIVE ARE:
Dr. Lenell Navarre
Superintendent
Bloom Township High School
District 206
Chicago Heights, IL
Craig Schmidt
Assistant Vice President,
School of Extended Learning
Governors State University,
University Park, IL
Dr. Jenifer Norrell
Superintendent
Homewood-Flossmoor
High School
District 233
Flossmoor, IL
Michael D. Anthony, PhD
President
Prairie State College
Chicago Heights, IL
Dr. Johnnie Thomas
Superintendent
Rich Township High School
District 227
Matteson, IL
Dr. Blondean Davis
Superintendent
Southland College Prep
Charter High School
Matteson School District 162
Richton Park, IL
Dr. Tina Halliman
Superintendent
Speed S.E.J.A.
District 802
As The Collective continues to build partnerships with schools, counselors, teachers, parents, businesses, elected officials and other stakeholders, you are invited to:
- serve on an SCTEC Advisory Council
- provide internship and work-based learning sites
- alert the SCTEC to grant and other funding opportunities
- donate equipment and materials, among other opportunities to engage
Additional educational institutions considering participation in The Collective are:
- Bremen High School District 228, Midlothian
- Consolidated High School District 230, Orland Park
- Loyola University Chicago, Chicago
- South Cook Intermediate Service Center 4, Chicago Heights
- South Suburban College, South Holland
- Thornton Township High School District 205, South Holland
- Crete-Monee High School District 201U, Crete
- Thornton Fractional High School District 215, Lansing
For more information or to offer your support of the SCTEC, call Dr. Johnnie Thomas at 708-679-5739 or at jthomas@rich227.org.