Prairie Central High School

Summary:

Prairie Central High School is a public high school located in Fairbury, Illinois, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 516 students. The school is part of the Prairie Central CUSD 8 district, which is ranked 466 out of 813 districts in Illinois and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Prairie Central High School has consistently ranked in the top half of Illinois high schools, ranging from 134th to 327th out of 600-700 schools over the past 10 years, and has maintained a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger for most of the past decade. However, the school's performance has been mixed, with female students outperforming their male counterparts, and Hispanic students ranking higher than White students in recent years. Students with disabilities and those from low socioeconomic backgrounds have struggled, with their rankings in the bottom half of Illinois high schools. The school's proficiency rates in SAT Mathematics and English Language Arts have been consistently below the state averages, but its performance in the Illinois Science Assessment (ISA) has been stronger, with proficiency rates around 50-70%, often exceeding the state average.

Compared to nearby schools, Lexington High School and Tri-Point High School have consistently outperformed Prairie Central High School in terms of statewide ranking, academic achievement, and graduation rates. However, Ridgeview High School has struggled more than Prairie Central High School, while Pontiac High School has performed similarly. The school's per-student spending and student-teacher ratio are generally in line with the nearby schools, suggesting that resource allocation may not be a significant factor in the school's performance. The sharp increase in chronic absenteeism at Prairie Central High School is a concerning trend that may be impacting the school's academic performance and other outcomes.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 411 N 7th St
       Fairbury, IL  61739-1340


(815) 692-2355

District: Prairie Central CUSD 8

SchoolDigger Rank:
265th of 697 Illinois High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $16,334 Help


Feeder schools for Prairie Central High School:

Elementary:    Prairie Central Elementary School
    Prairie Central Primary East
    Prairie Central Primary West
Middle:    Prairie Central Junior High School
    Prairie Central Upper Elementary

Student/teacher ratio:  12.0 Help
Number of students:  516

Racial breakdown:

White:
87.2%
Hispanic:
8.1%
Two or more races:
2.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  35.9% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Prairie Central High School ranks better than 62% of high schools in Illinois. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 54.68. (See more...)
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The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of Prairie Central High School freshmen who graduate within four years, adjusting for students who transfer in or out.
Help
The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a high school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Prairie Central High School is $16,334.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Prairie Central High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Prairie Central High School 265th of 697 Illinois public high schools. (See Prairie Central High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Disabled students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Prairie Central CUSD 8:

SchoolDigger ranks Prairie Central CUSD 8 466th of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Prairie Central High School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Prairie Central High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 65.45 199th 586 66.0%
2004 78.61 97th 592 83.6%
2005 64.96 214th 590 63.7%
2006 57.93 279th 596 53.2%
2007 71.75 170th 612 72.2%
2008 59.93 280th 624 55.1%
2009 60.24 275th 632 56.5%
2010 81.58 93rd 643 85.5%
2011 72.57 189th 655 71.1%
2012 65.26 229th 665 65.6%
2013 70.67 200th 670 70.1%
2014 73.12 164th 670 75.5%
2015 95.66 18th 614 97.1%
2016 83.77 34th 643 94.7%
2017 71.11 145th 642 77.4%
2018 74.22 134th 647 79.3%
2019 62.76 215th 701 69.3%
2021 46.83 327th 688 52.5%
2022 61.69 240th 699 65.7%
2023 61.21 232nd 699 66.8%
2024 54.68 265th 697 62.0%
See the entire list of Illinois High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Prairie Central High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 85.14 33rd 374 91.2%
2019 29.55 306th 473 35.3%
2021 46.80 161st 453 64.5%
2022 31.21 286th 493 42.0%
2023 34.88 258th 476 45.8%
2024 25.24 350th 482 27.4%
See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Prairie Central High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 59.51 196th 585 66.5%
2019 60.45 192nd 639 70.0%
2021 37.90 367th 611 39.9%
2022 42.08 363rd 626 42.0%
2023 56.70 228th 644 64.6%
2024 34.81 397th 639 37.9%
See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Prairie Central High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 59.74 227th 620 63.4%
2019 70.54 170th 665 74.4%
2021 43.73 338th 639 47.1%
2022 58.29 258th 658 60.8%
2023 67.08 178th 656 72.9%
2024 58.59 224th 664 66.3%
See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Prairie Central High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 70.05 68th 428 84.1%
2024 27.00 261st 429 39.2%
See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Prairie Central High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 80.38 99th 619 84.0%
2019 49.61 319th 675 52.7%
2021 46.60 314th 653 51.9%
2022 62.15 212th 664 68.1%
2023 53.56 279th 668 58.2%
2024 48.84 306th 668 54.2%
See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Prairie Central High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 31.55 228th 333 31.5%
2024 40.78 174th 336 48.2%
See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Prairie Central High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 62.32 170th 548 69.0%
2019 48.57 237th 552 57.1%
2021 30.34 370th 553 33.1%
2022 48.66 268th 560 52.1%
2023 48.04 261st 557 53.1%
2024 41.93 280th 554 49.5%
See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Illinois State Board of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Prairie Central High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 




Data source: Illinois State Board of Education

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Enrollment information for Prairie Central High School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 481 1 6 10 n/a n/a n/a 0 498
1989 462 1 5 9 n/a n/a n/a 0 477
1990 472 1 4 9 n/a n/a n/a 0 486
1991 502 1 2 14 0 n/a n/a 0 519
1992 512 0 1 11 0 n/a n/a 0 524
1993 537 0 1 10 0 n/a n/a 0 548
1994 534 0 1 11 0 n/a n/a 0 546
1995 584 2 0 14 0 n/a n/a 0 600
1996 584 2 0 14 0 n/a n/a 0 600
1997 596 3 0 12 0 n/a n/a 0 611
1998 608 3 0 15 0 n/a n/a 0 626
1999 617 3 2 13 0 n/a n/a 0 635
2000 642 4 2 14 0 n/a n/a 0 662
2001 642 6 3 15 1 n/a n/a 0 667
2002 616 10 2 16 0 n/a n/a 0 644
2003 616 10 2 16 0 n/a n/a 0 644
2004 587 2 2 13 1 n/a n/a 0 605
2005 691 7 4 20 0 n/a n/a 0 722
2006 665 3 4 25 2 n/a n/a 0 699
2007 661 3 2 22 0 n/a n/a 3 691
2008 624 3 2 22 0 n/a n/a 8 659
2009 633 2 4 18 0 n/a n/a 11 668
2010 585 4 1 11 0 n/a n/a 17 618
2011 587 6 1 10 0 0 19 0 623
2012 565 4 3 9 0 0 25 0 606
2013 562 5 2 15 0 0 23 0 607
2014 567 5 3 17 0 0 22 0 614
2015 575 8 3 16 1 0 23 0 626
2016 542 9 2 22 0 0 19 0 594
2017 516 6 1 22 0 0 24 0 569
2018 513 4 3 15 0 1 27 0 563
2019 482 4 3 13 0 1 27 0 530
2020 477 10 2 14 3 0 20 0 526
2021 511 11 5 21 1 0 20 0 569
2022 481 9 3 30 0 0 14 0 537
2023 450 9 4 42 0 0 11 0 516

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Prairie Central High School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 498 32.0 15.5 n/a
1989 477 33.0 14.4 n/a
1990 486 34.0 14.2 n/a
1991 519 35.5 14.6 n/a
1992 524 36.7 14.2 n/a
1993 548 37.2 14.7 n/a
1994 546 35.6 15.3 n/a
1995 600 40.2 14.9 n/a
1996 600 40.2 14.9 n/a
1997 611 41.2 14.8 n/a
1998 626 41.7 15.0 n/a
1999 635 42.8 14.8 n/a
2000 662 46.8 14.1 n/a
2001 667 47.1 14.2 n/a
2002 644 46.3 13.9 17.9
2003 644 46.3 13.9 17.9
2004 605 44.5 13.6 19.5
2005 722 48.5 14.9 22.3
2006 699 49.8 14.0 19.2
2007 691 46.0 15.0 27.9
2008 659 42.0 15.7 28.4
2009 668 52.1 12.8 32.9
2010 618 50.0 12.3 37.9
2011 623 50.6 12.2 35
2012 606 47.6 12.7 30.5
2013 607 n/a n/a 40.9
2014 614 47.5 12.9 38.1
2015 626 48.0 13.0 37.7
2016 594 45.0 13.2 33.8
2017 569 40.6 13.9 34.4
2018 563 39.7 14.1 35.2
2019 530 41.2 12.8 29.6
2020 526 40.0 13.1 31.9
2021 569 n/a n/a n/a
2022 537 41.8 12.8 32.2
2023 516 42.9 12.0 35.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Prairie Central High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 498 32.0 15.5 n/a
1989 477 33.0 14.4 n/a
1990 486 34.0 14.2 n/a
1991 519 35.5 14.6 n/a
1992 524 36.7 14.2 n/a
1993 548 37.2 14.7 n/a
1994 546 35.6 15.3 n/a
1995 600 40.2 14.9 n/a
1996 600 40.2 14.9 n/a
1997 611 41.2 14.8 n/a
1998 626 41.7 15.0 n/a
1999 635 42.8 14.8 n/a
2000 662 46.8 14.1 n/a
2001 667 47.1 14.2 n/a
2002 644 46.3 13.9 17.9
2003 644 46.3 13.9 17.9
2004 605 44.5 13.6 19.5
2005 722 48.5 14.9 22.3
2006 699 49.8 14.0 19.2
2007 691 46.0 15.0 27.9
2008 659 42.0 15.7 28.4
2009 668 52.1 12.8 32.9
2010 618 50.0 12.3 37.9
2011 623 50.6 12.2 35
2012 606 47.6 12.7 30.5
2013 607 n/a n/a 40.9
2014 614 47.5 12.9 38.1
2015 626 48.0 13.0 37.7
2016 594 45.0 13.2 33.8
2017 569 40.6 13.9 34.4
2018 563 39.7 14.1 35.2
2019 530 41.2 12.8 29.6
2020 526 40.0 13.1 31.9
2021 569 n/a n/a n/a
2022 537 41.8 12.8 32.2
2023 516 42.9 12.0 35.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Immunization Rates

Prairie Central High School

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Compare
YearPolioMeaslesMumpsRubellaHepatitis BVaricellaDTPMeningococcal
201598.0%96.5%96.5%96.5%97.2%91.7%97.6%
201699.8%99.7%99.7%99.7%99.0%98.5%20.4%
201799.8%99.7%99.7%99.7%99.5%99.2%99.8%22.0%
201899.5%99.7%99.7%99.7%99.7%98.8%99.7%24.9%
201999.5%99.5%99.5%99.5%99.2%98.5%99.5%59.5%
202199.3%99.3%99.3%99.3%99.0%94.6%99.5%97.6%
202299.1%99.1%99.1%99.1%98.6%96.0%99.3%96.4%
202399.4%99.6%99.6%99.6%99.0%97.5%99.6%98.5%
202499.2%99.6%99.6%99.6%98.5%96.4%99.4%95.4%

Data source: Illinois State Board of Education
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Prairie Central High School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $101 (0.8%) $12,809 (99.2%) $12,910
2020 $78 (0.7%) $11,353 (99.3%) $11,432
2021 $199 (1.8%) $10,756 (98.2%) $10,955
2022 $199 (1.8%) $10,756 (98.2%) $10,955
2023 $418 (3.1%) $13,140 (96.9%) $13,558
2024 $576 (3.5%) $15,758 (96.5%) $16,334

Data source: Illinois Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Prairie Central High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 215th of 701 High schoolsRanks 232nd of 699 High schools
 2.5%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
11th Grade Mathematics (Prairie Central High School)28.819
 9.8%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Prairie Central CUSD 8)28.819
 9.8%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Illinois)34.826.7
 8.1%
11th Grade English Language Arts (Prairie Central High School)37.825.6
 12.2%
   11th Grade English Language Arts (Prairie Central CUSD 8)37.825.6
 12.2%
   11th Grade English Language Arts (Illinois)36.731.6
 5.1%
End of Course Science (Prairie Central High School)37.666.7
 29.1%
   End of Course Science (Prairie Central CUSD 8)37.666.7
 29.1%
   End of Course Science (Illinois)36.452.2
 15.8%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students530516
 2.6%
African American49
 125%
American Indian00
Asian34
 33.3%
Hispanic1342
 223.1%
Pacific Islander10
 100%
White482450
 6.6%
Two or More Races2711
 59.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients29.6%35.9%
 6.2%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Prairie Central High School

In the 2022-23 school year, 516 students attended Prairie Central High School.

Students at Prairie Central High School are 87% White, 8% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races, 2% African American.

Prairie Central High School ranks 265th of 697 Illinois high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Board of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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