Upper Elementary

Teachers & Staff

Mrs. Bachtold

6th Grade Teacher 

email: pbachtold@prairiecentral.org 

Education:

Prairie Central High School (Fairbury, IL)

BS, Criminal Justice Sciences, Illinois State University

BA, Elementary Education, Millikin University

Mr. Baird

5th Grade Band Teacher 

email:  dbaird@prairiecentral.org

Education:

Lake Forest High School (Lake Forest, IL)

BA, Music Education, Drake University

Mrs. Baker

5th Grade Special Education Teacher 

email:  mbaker@prairiecentral.org

Education:

Civic Memorial High School (Bethalto, IL)

BS, Special Education, Illinois State University

MA, Curriculum & Instruction, Olivet University

Mrs. Bounds

6th Grade Teacher 

email:  bbounds@prairiecentral.org

Education:

Chatsworth High School (Chatsworth, IL)

BS, Elementary Education, Illinois State University

MA, Reading, Northeastern Illinois University

Mrs. Bittner

Paraprofessional 

email:  vbittner@prairiecentral.org

Education:

Fairbury-Cropsey High School (Fairbury, IL)

Parkland College

Mrs. Crane

Principal 

email:  pcrane@prairiecentral.org

Education:

Scales Mound High School (Scales Mound, IL)

AS, Highland Community College

BS, Biology, Northeastern Illinois University

MS, School Counseling, Illinois State University

MS, Educational Administration, Eastern Illinois University

Mrs. Creek

6th Grade Teacher 

email:  tcreek@prairiecentral.org

Education:

Prairie Central High School (Fairbury, IL)

Associate Degree, Lakeland College

BA, Psychology, Eastern Illinois University

MA, Education, Olivet University

Mr. Cribbett

5th Grade Teacher 

email:  rcribbett@prairiecentral.org

Education:

Rantoul Township High School (Rantoul, IL)

BA, Elementary Education, Illinois State University

Mrs. Diller

Paraprofessional 

email: jdiller@prairiecentral.org

Education:

Fairbury-Cropsey High School (Fairbury, IL)

BS, Elementary Education, Illinois State University

MA, Curriculum & Instruction, Illinois State University

Mrs. Drayer

6th Grade Teacher 

email: gdrayer@prairiecentral.org 

Education:

Fairbury-Cropsey High School (Fairbury, IL)

BA, Elementary Education, Illinois State University

MA, Elementary Education, Illinois State University

Mrs. Fehr

5th Grade Teacher 

email:  sfehr@prairiecentral.org

Education:

Pontiac High School (Pontiac, IL)

BS, Business Administration, University of Illinois

BS, Education, Illinois State University

MA, Education, Illinois State University

Mrs. Fuller

Cafeteria 

Education:

El Paso Community High School (El Paso, IL)

Associate Degree, Medical Laboratory Technology, Illinois Central College

Ms. Gallinger

6th Grade Teacher 

email: egallinger@prairiecentral.org 

Education:

Maine South High School (Park Ridge, IL)

BS, Elementary Education, Illinois State University

MA, Mathematics Education, National-Louis University

Mrs. Gray

5th Grade Teacher

email:  jgray@prairiecentral.org 

Education:

Fairbury-Cropsey High School (Fairbury, IL)

BS, Elementary Education/Early Childhood Education 

MA, Reading, Illinois State University

Mrs. Hansen

6th Grade Teacher 

email:  bhansen@prairiecentral.org

Education:

Centennial High School (Champaign, IL)

BA, Business, Illinois State University

BA, Elementary Education, Illinois State University

MA, Reading, Illinois State University

Mrs. Harper

6th Grade Special Education Teacher 

email:  mharper@prairiecentral.org

Education:

Porta High School (Petersburg, IL)

BS, Special Education, Illinois State University

Miss Hartman

5th/6th Grade Special Education Teacher 

email: mhartman@prairiecentral.org

Education:

El Paso-Gridley High School (El Paso, IL)

BS, Special Education, Illinois State University

Mrs. Johnson

Paraprofessional 

email: sjohnson@prairiecentral.org

Mrs. Kline

6th Grade Band Teacher 

email:  lkline@prairiecentral.org

Education:

Herscher High School (Herscher, IL)

BA, Music Education, Western Illinois University

MA, Music Education, Western Illinois University

Mrs. Knapp

Paraprofessional 

email: gknapp@prairiecentral.org

Mrs. Knauer

Cafeteria 

email:  tknauer@prairiecentral.org

Education:

Forrest-Strawn-Wing High School (Forrest, IL)

Licensed Cosmetologist, Hi Fashion Beauty College (Peoria, IL)

State of Illinois Department of Public Health, Certified Food Service Sanitation

Mrs. Kovach

Paraprofessional 

email:  kkovach@prairiecentral.org

Education:

Saunemin High School (Saunemin, IL) & Pontiac High School (Pontiac, IL)

Parkland College

Mrs. Lhotka

Special Education Teacher 

email:  clhotka@prairiecentral.org  

Education:

Illinois Valley Central (formerly Chillicothe Township) High School

BS, Special Education, Northern Illinois University

MS, Special Education, Northern Illinois University

Mrs. Maubach

Custodian 

email:  amaubach@prairiecentral.org

Mrs. Maurer

Cafeteria 

Mrs. McBride

5th Grade Teacher 

email:  cmcbride@prairiecentral.org

Education:

Lemont High School (Lemont, IL)

BS, History Education, Illinois State University

MS, Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment, Walden University

Mrs. McClellan

Secretary 

email:  rmcclellan@prairiecentral.org

Education:

Bloomington High School (Bloomington, IL)

Associate Degree, Parkland College

Mrs. McGuckin

6th Grade Teacher 

email: smcguckin@prairiecentral.org 

Education:

Lockport Township High School (Lockport, IL)

BS, Elementary Education, University of Saint Francis

MA, Reading, University of Saint Francis

Mrs. Nagel

Music Teacher 

email:  mnagel@prairiecentral.org

Education:

Prairie Central High School (Fairbury, IL)

BS, Elementary Education, Illinois State University

BME, Music Education, Illinois State University

Mrs. Onsager

Paraprofessional

email:  jonsager@prairiecentral.org

Education:

Maquoketa High School (Maquoketa, IA)

Mrs. Palen

Cafeteria 

email:  tpalen@prairiecentral.org

Mrs. Pick

Media Center Teacher 

email:  cpick@prairiecentral.org

Education:

Prairie Central High School (Fairbury, IL)

BS, Elementary Education, Illinois State University

MA, Curriculum & Instruction, Olivet Nazarene University

Mrs. Pierce

Art Teacher

email:  hpierce@prairiecentral.org

Education:

Prairie Central High School (Fairbury, IL)

BA, Art Education, University of Illinois

Mrs. Plenert

Registered Nurse

email:  jplenert@prairiecentral.org

Education:

Forrest-Strawn-Wing High School (Forrest, IL)

RN Diploma, Mennonite School of Nursing

BS, Nursing, University of Phoenix

Mrs. Quinn

6th Grade Teacher 

email:  jquinn@prairiecentral.org

Education:

Lincoln-Way High School (New Lenox, IL)

BS, Special Education, Eastern Illinois University

BA, Elementary Education, Eastern Illinois University

Mrs. Quinn

5th Grade Special Education Teacher 

email:  jlquinn@prairiecentral.org 

Education:

Bloomington High School (Bloomington, IL)

BS, Therapeutic Recreation, Illinois State University

BA, Special Education, Illinois State University

Mrs. Ricketts

Speech & Language Teacher 

email:  kricketts@prairiecentral.org

Education:

Fairbury-Cropsey High School

BS, Speech Pathology & Audiology, Eastern Illinois University

MS, Speech Pathology & Audiology, Eastern Illinois University

Mrs. Schmidgall

5th Grade Teacher 

email:  lschmidgall@prairiecentral.org

Education:

Streator High School (Streator, IL)

BA, Elementary Education, Illinois State University

MA, Elementary Education, Illinois State University

MA, Reading, Illinois State University

Mrs. Shols

Paraprofessional 

email:  kshols@prairiecentral.org

Education:

Chatsworth High School (Chatsworth, IL)

Mrs. Steidinger

Paraprofessional 

email:  dlsteidinger@prairiecentral.org

Education:

Lake Forest High School (Lake Forest, IL)

BS, Elementary Education, Illinois State University

Mrs. Studebaker

5th Grade Teacher 

email:  jstudebaker@prairiecentral.org

Education:

BA, Elementary Education, Illinois State University

MA, Curriculum & Instruction, Olivet University

Mrs. Trainor

6th Grade Special Education Teacher 

email:  ttrainor@prairiecentral.org

Education:

Fairbury-Cropsey High School (Fairbury, IL)

BA, Therapeutic Recreation, University of Illinois

Masters, Special Education, Illinois State University

Mr. Tull

Custodian

Mrs. Weeks

Transportation Director 

email:  pweeks@prairiecentral.org

Mr. Wolf

Physical Education Teacher

email:  mwolf@prairiecentral.org 

Education:

Rock Falls Township High School (Rock Falls, IL)

BS, Physical Education (K-12), Illinois State University

Transportation

Bus Drivers

Mike Thyne, Cindy Harrell, Steve Curl, Tina Cooley, Barb Taylor, Denny Greear, and Marci Knauer.  Not pictured:  Charisse Price, Tom Ellis, Chris Wilder.