The Du Quoin Education Association (DEA) has announced it will award a $500 scholarship in the spring of 2026, marking the 30th year of this initiative. Over the past three decades, more than $14,000 has been distributed to recipients. The scholarship is funded by contributions from DEA members, who are teachers in District 300.
To qualify for the scholarship, applicants must be graduates of Du Quoin High School or children of DEA members. They must also have been accepted into a College of Education program and achieved junior standing in college. Preference will be given to children of DEA members.
Applicants are required to submit a completed application package that includes: an application form; a typewritten statement of up to 300 words explaining their motivation for becoming a teacher; two signed and dated letters of recommendation from non-relatives addressing the applicant’s abilities, work habits, integrity, and potential; a typewritten list detailing extracurricular activities, honors, employment history, academic achievements or other notable accomplishments (limited to one page); and transcripts from all colleges attended.
Applications can be obtained from Mrs. Teresa Stacey, the DEA Scholarship Chair at Du Quoin High School, or through the school’s Guidance Office. The deadline for submitting applications is April 21, 2026.
Du Quoin Community Unit School District 300 serves Perry and Jackson counties and includes Du Quoin Elementary School, Du Quoin Middle School, and Du Quoin High School (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). According to recent data from the Illinois State Board of Education, the district employs 103 teachers with an average salary of $52,174 before pension contributions; about three-quarters are women (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). The student body is predominantly White at nearly 84 percent (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/), with smaller percentages identifying as Black, Hispanic or Asian.
In the 2019-2020 school year, District 300 enrolled nearly 1,500 students across grades pre-kindergarten through twelve (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). Per-student spending was $16,356 that year (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). The district reported a chronic truancy rate of just over three percent during that period—well below the statewide average (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).
“The funds were raised from contributions by Du Quoin Education Association members, District 300 teachers,” according to the announcement.
