The Illinois State Board of Education and Northern Illinois University named 1,177 schools to the Illinois Honor Roll, including a number of schools from the Southern Illinois.

Categories were Spotlight Schools, Academic Excellence and Academic Improvement. Spotlight Schools recognizes institutions that excel academically despite having a high poverty rate. Academic Excellence awards go to schools who have sustained a high performance for at least three years. Academic Improvement Awards go to schools that have greatly improved academically the last three years.

Schools in the region included Herrin Middle School, which was for Spotlight and Academic Improvement, and Unity Point Elementary in Carbondale, which also received a Spotlight Award.

"I congratulate and applaud the efforts of those principals, teachers, parents and community members who made it possible for these schools to rise to the level of excellence required to make the Illinois Honor Roll," said State Superintendent Christopher Koch.