Dongola Unified School District 66

The Dongola Unified School District 66 in Illinois operates three schools: Dongola Elementary School, Dongola High School, and Dongola Junior High School. The district serves a predominantly low-income population, with high rates of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch across all three schools.

Academically, the schools in the Dongola Unified School District 66 are performing well below state averages on standardized tests in both English Language Arts and Mathematics. For example, only 20% of students at Dongola Elementary School were proficient or better in ELA, compared to the state average of 41.2%. The math proficiency rates are also very low, with Dongola Elementary School and Dongola Junior High School scoring below 10% proficiency in several grade levels. Chronic absenteeism is also a significant issue, with rates ranging from 25.5% at Dongola Junior High School to 36.8% at Dongola Elementary School, much higher than the state average.

Despite the district's higher-than-average per-student spending and relatively low student-teacher ratios, the schools have not shown consistent improvement over the past few years. The lack of progress suggests a need for the district to re-evaluate its strategies and implement more effective interventions to address the academic challenges faced by its students. Addressing the socioeconomic factors and improving attendance should be top priorities for the district in order to support student learning and success.