Is Bluford Grade School a good school?

Bluford Grade School ranks 1350 th of 2067 Illinois elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Bluford Grade School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 239 students attended Bluford Grade School.

What is the racial makeup of Bluford Grade School?

Students at Bluford Grade School are 96% White, 2% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Bluford Grade School attend?

Students who attend Bluford Grade School usually go on to attend: High : Webber High School

Bluford Grade School

Summary:

Bluford Grade School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-8 in Bluford, Illinois, with 249 students. The school is part of the Bluford Unit School District 318, which is ranked 697 out of 813 districts in Illinois and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Bluford Grade School consistently underperforms the state average in both English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics proficiency across all grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 32.3% of Bluford students were proficient in ELA compared to the state average of 41.2%, and only 11.8% were proficient in Mathematics compared to the state average of 28.4%. The school has also struggled with high chronic absenteeism rates, reaching as high as 29.7% in the 2020-2021 school year, which is significantly above the state average. Additionally, Bluford Grade School serves a higher proportion of low-socioeconomic status students compared to the state, ranking 231 out of 1,763 Illinois elementary schools in this category.

Compared to nearby schools, Bluford Grade School's performance is generally lower. For example, Wayne City Attendance Center, located about 8.75 miles away, consistently outperforms Bluford Grade School in both ELA and Mathematics proficiency, as well as having lower chronic absenteeism rates. Bluford Grade School's performance has also been somewhat inconsistent over the years, with its statewide ranking ranging from 710 out of 1,948 Illinois elementary schools in the 2020-2021 school year to 1,522 out of 2,086 in the 2018-2019 school year. The school's performance is particularly concerning for its White student subgroup, which ranked in the bottom 10% of Illinois elementary schools in the 2023-2024 school year.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-8

901 6th St
Bluford, IL 62814-1418

(618) 732-8242

District: Bluford Unit School District 318

SchoolDigger Rank:
1350^th of 2,067 Illinois Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,501

Students who attend Bluford Grade School usually attend:

High:

Webber High School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.9

Number of students: 239

Racial breakdown:

White:

96.2%

Two or more races:

1.7%

Asian:

0.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 39.7%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Bluford Grade School ranks worse than 65.3% of elementary schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 31.73. (See more...)

Compare Details Bluford Grade School ranks worse than 56.3% of middle schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 38.64. (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 (96.2%), two or more races (1.7%), Asian (0.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 39.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Bluford Grade School is 12.9. (See more...)

Compare Bluford Grade School employs 18.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Bluford Grade School is $12,501.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Bluford Grade School:

SchoolDigger ranks Bluford Grade School 1350^th of 2067 Illinois public elementary schools. (See Bluford Grade School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

SchoolDigger ranks Bluford Grade School 768^th of 1363 Illinois public middle schools. (See Bluford Grade School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Bluford Unit School District 318:

SchoolDigger ranks Bluford Unit School District 318 697^th of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Bluford Grade School

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Bluford Grade School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	40.14	1165^th	2037	42.8%
2019	27.30	1522^nd	2086	27.0%
2021	56.96	710^th	1948	63.6%
2022	59.90	756^th	2082	63.7%
2023	48.89	981^st	2077	52.8%
2024	31.73	1350^th	2067	34.7%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Bluford Grade School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	61.14	528^th	1765	70.1%
2019	26.42	1473^rd	1816	18.9%
2022	75.43	231^st	1763	86.9%

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

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Bluford Grade School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	38.25	1184^th	1964	39.7%
2019	23.12	1604^th	2019	20.6%
2021	58.03	612^th	1680	63.6%
2022	55.69	754^th	1970	61.7%
2023	43.13	1028^th	1957	47.5%
2024	27.92	1378^th	1942	29.0%

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

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Bluford Grade School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	32.52	1322^nd	1972	33.0%
2019	22.20	1610^th	2019	20.3%
2021	51.78	699^th	1707	59.1%
2022	51.08	855^th	1977	56.8%
2023	47.84	934^th	1984	52.9%
2024	33.51	1225^th	1959	37.5%

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

Rank History for elementary school White students at Bluford Grade School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	22.75	1209^th	1463	17.4%
2019	14.83	1341^st	1462	8.3%
2021	39.02	802^nd	1308	38.7%
2022	41.57	856^th	1425	39.9%
2023	32.43	1005^th	1419	29.2%
2024	15.01	1264^th	1392	9.2%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for White Students!

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

Rank History for Bluford Grade School

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Rank History for all middle school students at Bluford Grade School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	52.78	563^rd	1293	56.5%
2019	38.67	784^th	1356	42.2%
2021	37.58	683^rd	1241	45.0%
2022	30.87	899^th	1369	34.3%
2023	48.04	625^th	1367	54.3%
2024	38.64	768^th	1363	43.7%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Bluford Grade School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	59.65	369^th	1161	68.2%
2019	31.04	887^th	1217	27.1%
2022	42.99	634^th	1221	48.1%
2024	34.33	798^th	1219	34.5%

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

Rank History for middle school Female students at Bluford Grade School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	49.43	597^th	1226	51.3%
2019	34.59	836^th	1276	34.5%
2022	36.51	754^th	1286	41.4%
2023	78.60	216^th	1275	83.1%
2024	39.14	715^th	1251	42.8%

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

Rank History for middle school Male students at Bluford Grade School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	52.77	521^st	1223	57.4%
2019	32.74	837^th	1296	35.4%
2021	21.70	860^th	1048	17.9%
2022	30.52	856^th	1286	33.4%
2023	25.45	956^th	1292	26.0%
2024	39.19	693^rd	1264	45.2%

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

Rank History for middle school White students at Bluford Grade School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	34.74	600^th	889	32.5%
2019	24.27	713^th	905	21.2%
2021	25.17	624^th	813	23.2%
2022	15.80	805^th	898	10.4%
2023	31.90	626^th	895	30.1%
2024	21.52	722^nd	875	17.5%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary 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 Bluford Grade School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	Two or More Races	Total
2016	276	0	0	0	0	276
2017	278	1	0	1	3	283
2018	258	0	0	2	2	262
2019	250	1	0	3	2	256
2020	241	2	0	3	6	252
2021	251	1	0	2	5	259
2022	235	1	0	2	4	242
2023	241	1	0	2	5	249
2024	230	1	2	2	4	239

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 Bluford Grade School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2016	276	14.0	19.7	47.5
2017	283	14.4	19.6	49.1
2018	262	17.5	14.9	45.8
2019	256	17.4	14.6	44.1
2020	252	17.1	14.6	43.7
2021	259	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	242	20.4	11.8	31
2023	249	21.5	11.5	31.7
2024	239	18.4	12.9	39.7

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 Bluford Grade School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2016	276	14.0	19.7	47.5
2017	283	14.4	19.6	49.1
2018	262	17.5	14.9	45.8
2019	256	17.4	14.6	44.1
2020	252	17.1	14.6	43.7
2021	259	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	242	20.4	11.8	31
2023	249	21.5	11.5	31.7
2024	239	18.4	12.9	39.7

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.

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