Western Junior High School

Q: Is Western Junior High School a good school?

Western Junior High School ranks 549 th of 1363 Illinois middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Western Junior High School is a public middle school serving grades 6-8 in Kinderhook, Illinois, with 160 students. The school is part of the Western CUSD 12 district, which is ranked 533 out of 813 districts in Illinois and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Western Junior High School has shown relatively strong academic performance in English Language Arts, with 48.9% of students proficient or better, its math proficiency rate of 21.3% is lower than the district and state averages. The school has also seen notable differences in performance across student subgroups, with female students outperforming their male counterparts and the school's White students performing lower compared to the overall student population. However, the school's low-income and disabled student populations have performed relatively well, ranking in the top half of Illinois middle schools. Additionally, the school has experienced a concerning increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 7.0% in 2019-2020 to 27.1% in 2023-2024, which is significantly higher than the state average.

Interestingly, the nearby Pikeland Community School, which is part of the Pikeland CUSD 10 district, has significantly lower academic performance across both English Language Arts and Mathematics compared to Western Junior High School, suggesting that Western Junior High School may be performing relatively well within its local context, despite its declining statewide ranking.

Detail:

Public 6-8

300 Chaney St
Kinderhook, IL 62345

(217) 432-8324

District: Western CUSD 12

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,450

Students who attend Western Junior High School usually attend:

High:

Western High School

Feeder schools for Western Junior High School:

Elementary:

Western Barry Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 10.1

Number of students: 148

Racial breakdown:

White:

95.3%

Two or more races:

2.7%

Hispanic:

1.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 55.4%

See top rated Illinois middle schools

Compare Western Junior High School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Western Junior High School ranks better than 59.7% of middle schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 53.52. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a 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

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (95.3%), two or more races (2.7%), Hispanic (1.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 55.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Western Junior High School is 10.1. (See more...)

Compare Western Junior High School employs 14.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Western Junior High School is $14,450.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Western Junior High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Western Junior High School 549^th of 1363 Illinois public middle schools. (See Western Junior High 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:

Western CUSD 12:

SchoolDigger ranks Western CUSD 12 533^rd of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Western Junior High School

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Rank History for all students at Western Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2009	45.63	837^th	1318	36.5%
2010	42.90	886^th	1327	33.2%
2011	42.14	897^th	1344	33.3%
2012	25.93	1101^st	1365	19.3%
2013	32.57	985^th	1367	27.9%
2014	44.37	759^th	1322	42.6%
2015	37.53	761^st	1302	41.6%
2016	57.26	478^th	1294	63.1%
2017	47.19	633^rd	1293	51.0%
2018	38.39	763^rd	1293	41.0%
2019	45.80	681^st	1356	49.8%
2021	43.75	594^th	1241	52.1%
2022	61.70	428^th	1369	68.7%
2023	55.39	513^th	1367	62.5%
2024	53.52	549^th	1363	59.7%

See the entire list of Illinois Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Western Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	45.99	331^st	802	58.7%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Western Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	47.97	548^th	1161	52.8%
2019	44.05	650^th	1217	46.6%
2021	52.59	376^th	1019	63.1%
2022	80.97	109^th	1221	91.1%
2023	66.68	280^th	1234	77.3%
2024	53.85	468^th	1219	61.6%

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

Rank History for Female students at Western Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	43.32	682^nd	1226	44.4%
2019	40.57	730^th	1276	42.8%
2021	44.09	518^th	1017	49.1%
2022	64.40	366^th	1286	71.5%
2023	59.14	432^nd	1275	66.1%
2024	55.71	475^th	1251	62.0%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Western Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	74.61	77^th	639	87.9%

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

Rank History for Male students at Western Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	27.95	870^th	1223	28.9%
2019	51.41	558^th	1296	56.9%
2021	37.55	602^nd	1048	42.6%
2022	58.25	441^st	1286	65.7%
2023	49.73	565^th	1292	56.3%
2024	51.63	520^th	1264	58.9%

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

Rank History for White students at Western Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	20.79	752^nd	889	15.4%
2019	28.49	672^nd	905	25.7%
2021	28.08	591^st	813	27.3%
2022	44.57	474^th	898	47.2%
2023	33.47	607^th	895	32.2%
2024	30.83	616^th	875	29.6%

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 Western Junior High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2008	146	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	146
2009	179	0	1	2	2	n/a	n/a	4	188
2010	209	0	1	4	2	n/a	n/a	3	219
2011	205	0	0	4	0	0	4	0	213
2012	212	0	0	7	1	0	5	0	225
2013	190	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	192
2014	185	0	0	4	0	0	0	0	189
2015	206	3	0	3	0	0	0	0	212
2016	175	2	0	2	0	0	4	0	183
2017	171	1	0	5	0	0	2	0	179
2018	181	0	0	2	0	0	2	0	185
2019	188	0	0	4	0	0	4	0	196
2020	189	1	0	5	0	0	3	0	198
2021	168	2	0	10	0	0	1	0	181
2022	174	2	0	6	0	0	1	0	183
2023	154	2	0	2	0	0	2	0	160
2024	141	0	1	2	0	0	4	0	148

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 Western Junior High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2008	146	8.0	18.3	40.4
2009	188	6.6	28.5	47.8
2010	219	7.6	28.5	44.9
2011	213	14.7	14.4	46
2012	225	12.7	17.7	49.3
2013	192	n/a	n/a	53.1
2014	189	3.0	63.0	54
2015	212	10.0	21.2	62.7
2016	183	10.0	18.3	64.5
2017	179	11.0	16.2	57.5
2018	185	10.7	17.2	55.7
2019	196	11.5	16.9	52
2020	198	11.1	17.8	65.2
2021	181	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	183	12.7	14.3	56.8
2023	160	13.7	11.6	58.8
2024	148	14.6	10.1	55.4

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 Western Junior High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2008	146	8.0	18.3	40.4
2009	188	6.6	28.5	47.8
2010	219	7.6	28.5	44.9
2011	213	14.7	14.4	46
2012	225	12.7	17.7	49.3
2013	192	n/a	n/a	53.1
2014	189	3.0	63.0	54
2015	212	10.0	21.2	62.7
2016	183	10.0	18.3	64.5
2017	179	11.0	16.2	57.5
2018	185	10.7	17.2	55.7
2019	196	11.5	16.9	52
2020	198	11.1	17.8	65.2
2021	181	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	183	12.7	14.3	56.8
2023	160	13.7	11.6	58.8
2024	148	14.6	10.1	55.4

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