Rockford Public Schools is one of the largest school districts in Illinois, educating more than 28,800 students, with 48 schools in the district and 4,890 employees. The school district is also the second-largest employer in the region. In addition to traditional neighborhood zone schools, Rockford Public Schools offers its students special programs designed to provide educational opportunities tailored to their learning needs and abilities, such as the Gifted Academy the Creative and Performing Arts Program (CAPA), Maria Montessori program, Two-Way Language Immersion program, STEAM Academy, a K-5 special program that integrates science and technology, interpreted through engineering and the arts, all based in mathematical elements, College and Career Academies.