Summary:
The city of Palestine, Illinois is home to two schools - Palestine Grade School and Palestine High School, both part of the Palestine CUSD 3 district. While Palestine High School is a relative bright spot, ranking in the top half of Illinois high schools with a 3-star rating, the elementary school struggles with very low test scores compared to state averages.
Palestine High School stands out for its strong 93.5% four-year graduation rate, which is higher than the state average. However, both schools face challenges, including high chronic absenteeism rates, particularly at the high school level where 41.3% of students are chronically absent. The district also serves a population with significant economic challenges, as evidenced by the high free/reduced lunch rates at both schools.
Overall, the data paints a mixed picture of the schools in Palestine, Illinois. While the high school is performing better, the elementary school's low test scores and high absenteeism rates indicate a need for significant improvement efforts. The district should analyze the factors contributing to the high school's stronger performance and look for ways to apply those strategies to the elementary school as well, while also addressing the concerning issues of chronic absenteeism and supporting students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
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