Mercer County Junior High School

Summary:

Mercer County Junior High School is a public middle school located in Aledo, Illinois, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 299 students. The school is part of the Mercer County School District 404, which is ranked 564 out of 813 districts in Illinois and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Academically, Mercer County Junior High School's performance is generally below the state averages across all grades and subjects, with particularly low proficiency rates in Mathematics. However, the school's performance in Science is relatively stronger, with an 8th-grade proficiency rate of 67.3%, higher than the state average of 53.2%. The school also faces significant disparities in student group performance, with its White, Special Education, Low Socio-Economic Status, Disabled, and Military Connected student subgroups all ranked in the bottom quarter of Illinois middle schools. Additionally, Mercer County Junior High School has experienced high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 18.8% to 31.5% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state average.

When compared to nearby schools, such as United Junior High School and Sherrard Junior High School, Mercer County Junior High School generally underperforms in academic measures, with lower proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics. However, the school's performance in Science is relatively stronger, suggesting potential areas of strength that could be leveraged to improve overall academic outcomes. To address these challenges, the school and district should closely examine their instructional practices, support systems, and resource allocation to identify areas for improvement and implement targeted interventions to ensure all students have the opportunity to succeed.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 1002 Sw 6Th St
       Aledo, IL  61231-2100


(309) 584-4174

District: Mercer County School District 404

SchoolDigger Rank:
902nd of 1,363 Illinois Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $15,154 Help


Students who attend Mercer County Junior High School usually attend:

High:    Mercer County High School

Feeder schools for Mercer County Junior High School:

Elementary:    Apollo Elementary School
    New Boston Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio:  12.6 Help
Number of students:  299

Racial breakdown:

White:
93.3%
Hispanic:
2.0%
Two or more races:
2.0%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  47.2% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Mercer County Junior High School ranks worse than 66.2% of middle schools in Illinois. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 30.22. (See more...)
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 Mercer County Junior High School is $15,154.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Mercer County Junior High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Mercer County Junior High School 902nd of 1363 Illinois public middle schools. (See Mercer County 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:
Military Connected students:
Male students:
White students:


Mercer County School District 404:

SchoolDigger ranks Mercer County School District 404 564th of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Mercer County Junior High School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Mercer County Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2011 57.62 660th 1344 50.9%
2012 67.28 476th 1365 65.1%
2013 51.85 669th 1367 51.1%
2014 54.73 610th 1322 53.9%
2015 67.28 332nd 1302 74.5%
2016 54.81 513th 1294 60.4%
2017 43.90 687th 1293 46.9%
2018 55.67 522nd 1293 59.6%
2019 50.31 619th 1356 54.4%
2021 42.07 621st 1241 50.0%
2022 49.41 600th 1369 56.2%
2023 43.07 713th 1367 47.8%
2024 30.22 902nd 1363 33.8%
See the entire list of Illinois Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Mercer County Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 24.64 570th 602 5.3%
2019 30.68 557th 792 29.7%
2021 36.77 314th 548 42.7%
2022 37.27 436th 781 44.2%
2023 24.09 665th 805 17.4%
2024 20.57 723rd 802 9.9%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

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

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 51.60 491st 1161 57.7%
2019 50.67 544th 1217 55.3%
2021 42.37 544th 1019 46.6%
2022 43.14 631st 1221 48.3%
2023 40.52 704th 1234 42.9%
2024 28.67 890th 1219 27.0%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Mercer County Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 50.33 577th 1226 52.9%
2019 51.74 573rd 1276 55.1%
2021 44.45 512th 1017 49.7%
2022 54.49 476th 1286 63.0%
2023 42.88 685th 1275 46.3%
2024 33.10 800th 1251 36.1%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Mercer County Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 30.66 478th 674 29.1%
2024 23.88 573rd 639 10.3%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at Mercer County Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 33.18 8th 12 33.3%
2024 16.80 11th 12 8.3%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Mercer County Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 58.32 434th 1223 64.5%
2019 47.57 614th 1296 52.6%
2021 33.46 656th 1048 37.4%
2022 42.82 648th 1286 49.6%
2023 42.12 679th 1292 47.4%
2024 27.14 886th 1264 29.9%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Mercer County Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 38.60 554th 889 37.7%
2019 32.24 622nd 905 31.3%
2021 29.26 578th 813 28.9%
2022 30.89 637th 898 29.1%
2023 27.08 686th 895 23.4%
2024 14.81 785th 875 10.3%
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.

Mercer County Junior 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 Mercer County Junior High School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2010 192 0 0 4 0 n/a n/a 2 198
2011 205 3 0 4 0 0 4 0 216
2012 194 2 0 1 0 0 6 0 203
2013 191 1 0 1 0 0 7 0 200
2014 197 1 1 2 0 0 5 0 206
2015 177 0 2 5 0 0 8 0 192
2016 182 4 1 1 0 0 8 0 196
2017 175 2 1 2 0 0 7 0 187
2018 177 4 2 3 0 0 8 0 194
2019 186 1 2 5 0 0 5 0 199
2020 186 1 0 9 0 0 2 0 198
2021 199 1 0 8 0 0 4 0 212
2022 194 1 0 4 1 0 6 0 206
2023 279 4 3 6 0 0 6 1 299

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 Mercer County Junior High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2010 198 15.0 13.2 n/a
2011 216 15.0 14.4 42.1
2012 203 16.0 12.6 39.9
2013 200 30.3 6.5 46.5
2014 206 14.2 14.4 35.9
2015 192 14.0 13.7 40.1
2016 196 14.0 14.0 51
2017 187 15.0 12.4 45.5
2018 194 15.3 12.6 41.8
2019 199 16.1 12.3 40.2
2020 198 15.3 12.9 34.8
2021 212 n/a n/a n/a
2022 206 16.1 12.7 42.2
2023 299 23.6 12.6 47.2

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 Mercer County Junior High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2010 198 15.0 13.2 n/a
2011 216 15.0 14.4 42.1
2012 203 16.0 12.6 39.9
2013 200 30.3 6.5 46.5
2014 206 14.2 14.4 35.9
2015 192 14.0 13.7 40.1
2016 196 14.0 14.0 51
2017 187 15.0 12.4 45.5
2018 194 15.3 12.6 41.8
2019 199 16.1 12.3 40.2
2020 198 15.3 12.9 34.8
2021 212 n/a n/a n/a
2022 206 16.1 12.7 42.2
2023 299 23.6 12.6 47.2

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

Mercer County Junior High School

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Compare
YearPolioMeaslesMumpsRubellaHepatitis BVaricellaDTPMeningococcal
201695.1%95.1%95.1%95.1%96.6%95.1%
201795.8%95.8%95.8%95.8%96.3%95.8%95.8%41.6%
201898.5%98.5%98.5%98.5%98.5%98.5%98.5%98.5%
201998.0%98.0%98.0%98.0%98.0%98.0%98.0%98.0%
202198.6%98.6%98.6%98.6%98.6%98.1%98.1%98.6%
202298.1%98.1%98.1%98.1%98.1%98.1%98.5%99.0%
202396.0%96.0%96.0%96.0%96.0%95.3%96.3%96.0%
202494.9%94.9%94.9%94.9%93.8%94.5%94.9%94.1%

Data source: Illinois State Board of Education
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Mercer County Junior High School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $495 (5.3%) $8,915 (94.7%) $9,410
2020 $557 (6.2%) $8,376 (93.8%) $8,933
2021 $1,180 (11.9%) $8,773 (88.1%) $9,953
2022 $1,180 (11.9%) $8,773 (88.1%) $9,953
2023 $1,740 (12.1%) $12,637 (87.9%) $14,378
2024 $1,968 (13.0%) $13,186 (87.0%) $15,154

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Mercer County Junior 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 619th of 1356 Middle schoolsRanks 713th of 1367 Middle schools
 6.5%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
7th Grade English Language Arts (Mercer County Junior High School)53.838.8
 15%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Mercer County School District 404)53.838.8
 15%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Illinois)41.237.9
 3.3%
7th Grade Mathematics (Mercer County Junior High School)20.514.3
 6.2%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Mercer County School District 404)20.514.3
 6.2%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Illinois)29.926.9
 3%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Mercer County Junior High School)2633.7
 7.7%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Mercer County School District 404)2633.7
 7.7%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Illinois)39.640.5
 0.9%
8th Grade Mathematics (Mercer County Junior High School)10.611.9
 1.3%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Mercer County School District 404)10.611.9
 1.3%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Illinois)32.625.7
 6.9%
8th Grade Science (Mercer County Junior High School)69.572.3
 2.8%
   8th Grade Science (Mercer County School District 404)69.572.3
 2.8%
   8th Grade Science (Illinois)5552
 3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students199299
 50.3%
African American14
 300%
American Indian00
Asian23
 50%
Hispanic56
 20%
Pacific Islander00
White186279
 50%
Two or More Races56
 20%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients40.2%47.2%
 7%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Mercer County Junior High School

In the 2022-23 school year, 299 students attended Mercer County Junior High School.

Students who attend Mercer County Junior High School usually go on to attend Mercer County High School

Students at Mercer County Junior High School are 93% White, 2% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races, 1% African American, 1% Asian.

Mercer County Junior High School ranks 902nd of 1363 Illinois middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 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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