Summary:
The city of Arcola, Illinois is home to two schools: Arcola Elementary School and Arcola High School, both part of the Arcola CUSD 306 district. While Arcola High School has maintained a relatively high four-year graduation rate of 92.3%, the district as a whole faces significant challenges, with Arcola Elementary School consistently ranking in the bottom half of Illinois elementary schools and both schools struggling with high chronic absenteeism rates.
Arcola Elementary School's performance on standardized tests, such as the IAR (Illinois Assessment of Readiness), is significantly below the state average, with proficiency rates ranging from 12.5% to 28% in English Language Arts and 16% to 18.8% in Mathematics across different grade levels. This poor academic performance is a major concern, especially given the district's higher-than-average spending per student of $12,813 at the elementary school level.
While Arcola High School had a relatively high statewide ranking of 271 out of 699 Illinois high schools in the 2021-2022 school year, its ranking has since dropped significantly to 570 out of 697 high schools in the 2023-2024 school year, indicating a concerning trend of declining performance at the high school level. Additionally, both schools have a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, suggesting a relatively high level of economic disadvantage among the student population, which may be contributing to the academic challenges faced by the district.
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