Sparta CUSD 140

The Sparta CUSD 140 district in Illinois consists of 3 schools: 2 elementary schools (Sparta Lincoln School and Evansville Attendance Center) and 1 high school (Sparta High School). While the district faces challenges with high chronic absenteeism rates, one school, Evansville Attendance Center, stands out with relatively strong academic performance compared to the district and state averages.

Evansville Attendance Center, a small elementary school with 116 students, has the highest proficiency rates in the district for English Language Arts (34.5% vs 26.2% district, 41.2% state) and Science (68.8% vs 38.2% district, 53.2% state). The school also has higher than district average proficiency rates in Math for most grade levels. This academic success may be attributed to the school's low student-teacher ratio of 10.5.

While Sparta High School's overall academic performance is below state averages, it has a relatively high 4-year graduation rate of 78.2% compared to the district. However, all three schools in the district have high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 27.4% to 31.8%, significantly above the state average. This is a concerning trend that likely impacts student learning and achievement. Additionally, there are potential equity issues within the district, as Sparta Lincoln School has a much higher free/reduced lunch rate of 69.26% compared to 25.86% at Evansville Attendance Center.