Steger School District 194

The Steger School District 194 in Illinois consists of 3 schools: 2 elementary schools (Steger Intermediate Center and Steger Primary Center) and 1 middle school (Columbia Central School). The district faces challenges with significant performance gaps between the middle school and elementary schools, as well as high chronic absenteeism rates across all schools.

Columbia Central School, the district's middle school, stands out with the highest overall test scores, particularly in 8th-grade ELA proficiency. However, the school's Math proficiency rates are quite low, with only 7-13.6% of students meeting or exceeding standards. In contrast, Steger Intermediate Center, one of the elementary schools, has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the district at 26.3%, though its overall ELA and Math proficiency rates are lower than the district and state averages.

The district as a whole serves a high percentage of students from low-income families, with free/reduced lunch rates ranging from 74.22% to 84.25%. This socioeconomic factor may contribute to the academic challenges faced by the schools. The district appears to be allocating similar levels of funding per student across the schools, but the performance differences suggest a need for targeted interventions and resource allocation to address the specific needs of each school.