Is West Central Middle School a good school?

West Central Middle School ranks in the bottom 14.6% of Illinois middle schools.

How many students attend West Central Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 184 students attended West Central Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of West Central Middle School?

Students at West Central Middle School are 90% White, 5% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic.

What high school do graduates of West Central Middle School attend?

Students who attend West Central Middle School usually go on to attend West Central High School

West Central Middle School

Summary:

West Central Middle School is a public middle school in Stronghurst, Illinois, serving 184 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the West Central CUSD 235 district, which is ranked 765 out of 813 districts in Illinois and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

West Central Middle School consistently ranks in the bottom 20% of Illinois middle schools, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts (18.5%) and Mathematics (6.9%) are significantly lower than the state averages (41.2% and 28.4%, respectively). While the school's performance on the Illinois Science Assessment is slightly better at 36.5% proficient, it is still below the state average of 53.2%. The school also struggles to support its student subgroups, with low rankings for female, male, and white students, as well as students with disabilities and those from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Additionally, West Central Middle School has experienced high rates of chronic absenteeism, with 17.7% of students chronically absent in 2023-2024, compared to the state average of 12.3%.

Nearby schools, such as Central Intermediate School, United Junior High School, and West Prairie Junior High School, generally outperform West Central Middle School in academic measures, with higher proficiency rates and lower chronic absenteeism. These higher-performing schools tend to have a larger student population and more resources, which may contribute to their better academic outcomes. Addressing the challenges at West Central Middle School, such as improving instructional practices, supporting struggling students, and addressing chronic absenteeism, will be crucial to ensuring all students have the opportunity to succeed.

Detail:

Public 6-8

217 W South St
Stronghurst, IL 61480-5055

(309) 924-1681

District: West Central CUSD 235

SchoolDigger Rank:
1164^th of 1,363 Illinois Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,620

Students who attend West Central Middle School usually attend:

High:

West Central High School

Feeder schools for West Central Middle School:

Elementary:

West Central Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.9

Number of students: 184

Racial breakdown:

White:

90.2%

Two or more races:

5.4%

Hispanic:

3.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 67.9%

See top rated Illinois middle schools

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Performance Trends

Compare Details West Central Middle School ranks worse than 85.4% of middle schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 17.58. (See more...)

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.

Student Body

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at West Central Middle School is $13,620.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

West Central Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks West Central Middle School 1164^th of 1363 Illinois public middle schools. (See West Central Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

White students:

West Central CUSD 235:

SchoolDigger ranks West Central CUSD 235 765^th of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for West Central Middle School

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Rank History for all students at West Central Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2006	49.66	760^th	1272	40.3%
2007	48.60	783^rd	1287	39.2%
2008	61.83	588^th	1293	54.5%
2009	62.48	562^nd	1318	57.4%
2010	52.68	741^st	1327	44.2%
2011	56.52	679^th	1344	49.5%
2012	46.85	842^nd	1365	38.3%
2013	35.50	933^rd	1367	31.7%
2014	43.31	773^rd	1322	41.5%
2015	32.57	849^th	1302	34.8%
2016	34.28	828^th	1294	36.0%
2017	35.43	811^th	1293	37.3%
2018	20.50	1049^th	1293	18.9%
2019	23.48	1050^th	1356	22.6%
2021	15.75	1111^th	1241	10.5%
2022	23.22	1039^th	1369	24.1%
2023	23.08	1048^th	1367	23.3%
2024	17.58	1164^th	1363	14.6%

See the entire list of Illinois Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at West Central Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2019	24.57	779^th	792	1.6%
2021	25.51	539^th	548	1.6%
2022	42.13	348^th	781	55.4%
2023	19.05	777^th	805	3.5%
2024	30.69	533^rd	802	33.5%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at West Central Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	28.49	874^th	1161	24.7%
2019	28.35	935^th	1217	23.2%
2021	23.11	871^st	1019	14.5%
2022	25.07	987^th	1221	19.2%
2023	25.61	974^th	1234	21.1%
2024	16.30	1123^rd	1219	7.9%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at West Central Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	18.63	1022^nd	1226	16.6%
2019	26.04	967^th	1276	24.2%
2021	14.01	937^th	1017	7.9%
2022	22.42	1008^th	1286	21.6%
2023	25.53	934^th	1275	26.7%
2024	17.12	1074^th	1251	14.1%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at West Central Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	23.29	603^rd	674	10.5%
2024	21.56	617^th	639	3.4%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at West Central Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	25.17	913^th	1223	25.3%
2019	20.57	1053^rd	1296	18.8%
2021	15.58	956^th	1048	8.8%
2022	24.70	961^st	1286	25.3%
2023	22.34	1016^th	1292	21.4%
2024	20.11	1030^th	1264	18.5%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at West Central Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	7.73	863^rd	889	2.9%
2019	9.53	865^th	905	4.4%
2021	7.62	804^th	813	1.1%
2022	10.92	856^th	898	4.7%
2023	9.63	860^th	895	3.9%
2024	6.97	852^nd	875	2.6%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle 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.

Data source: Illinois State Board of Education

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Enrollment information for West Central Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2006	244	0	1	1	n/a	n/a	1	247
2007	245	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	3	249
2008	233	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	3	237
2009	238	1	5	0	n/a	n/a	3	247
2010	225	1	3	0	n/a	n/a	2	231
2011	210	0	6	2	0	3	0	221
2012	208	0	5	0	0	4	0	217
2013	198	1	7	0	0	4	0	210
2014	190	1	6	1	0	5	0	203
2015	192	1	5	1	0	4	0	203
2016	178	0	2	0	0	5	0	185
2017	164	0	2	1	0	7	0	174
2018	145	0	2	1	1	5	0	154
2019	144	0	3	0	0	5	0	152
2020	141	0	3	1	0	5	0	150
2021	155	2	5	0	0	7	0	169
2022	146	1	7	0	0	10	0	164
2023	166	1	6	1	0	10	0	184

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 West Central Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2006	247	19.0	13.0	43.9
2007	249	19.0	13.1	47.2
2008	237	15.0	15.8	38.5
2009	247	19.0	13.0	41.8
2010	231	19.0	12.1	48
2011	221	19.0	11.6	46.2
2012	217	19.0	11.4	52.1
2013	210	19.7	10.6	58.1
2014	203	14.0	14.5	61.6
2015	203	16.0	12.6	58.6
2016	185	16.0	11.5	49.2
2017	174	15.0	11.5	55.2
2018	154	13.8	11.1	56.5
2019	152	15.0	10.1	60.5
2020	150	15.0	9.9	59.3
2021	169	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	164	14.3	11.3	60.4
2023	184	14.2	12.9	67.9

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 West Central Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2006	247	19.0	13.0	43.9
2007	249	19.0	13.1	47.2
2008	237	15.0	15.8	38.5
2009	247	19.0	13.0	41.8
2010	231	19.0	12.1	48
2011	221	19.0	11.6	46.2
2012	217	19.0	11.4	52.1
2013	210	19.7	10.6	58.1
2014	203	14.0	14.5	61.6
2015	203	16.0	12.6	58.6
2016	185	16.0	11.5	49.2
2017	174	15.0	11.5	55.2
2018	154	13.8	11.1	56.5
2019	152	15.0	10.1	60.5
2020	150	15.0	9.9	59.3
2021	169	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	164	14.3	11.3	60.4
2023	184	14.2	12.9	67.9

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