Carbondale Reporter

Murphysboro High School, through its social media platform, communicated various statistics and issues affecting education within the state of Illinois on April 2, 2025. These postings reflect on average salaries, student-teacher ratios, teacher shortages, and demographic information relevant to the Murphysboro Community Unit School District 186, illustrating pressing challenges faced by educational institutions in the region.

On April 2, 2025, at 01:07:26 UTC, Murphysboro High School shared "According to the Illinois Report Card, the average state teacher salary in 2023 was $73,916, and the state average Administrative Salary was $116,908. The average student-to-administrative ratio is 141:1, and the average student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1. 58% of teachers in Illinois have a master's degree or higher." This tweet provides insights into the current economic reality of educational professionals in Illinois.

Subsequently, at 01:09:01 UTC, the school posted "According to the Educator Shortage Survey, there are a reported 3,694 teacher positions filled by alternative measures -- substitutes, retired educators, combining classrooms, and increasing class sizes. According to the Unfilled Positions data collection, 4,096 teaching positions were unfilled for SY24 at a vacancy rate of 3.0%. 91% of school leaders indicated a minor, serious, or severe problem with teacher shortages. There were shortages within 62% of education agencies based on the survey findings (617 of 996)." This statement highlights the current teacher shortages and the measures taken to address this issue.

Finally, at 14:06:40 UTC on the same day, Murphysboro High School detailed more specific information concerning the local district with this post: "The Murphysboro Community Unit School District 186 represents Jackson County. Carruthers Elementary School, General John A. Logan Attendance Centre, McElvain School, Murphysboro High School, and Murphysboro Middle School are all represented in this school district." This tweet offers context about the schools and facilities within the district.