Is West Elementary School a good school?

West Elementary School ranks 1338 th of 2067 Illinois elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend West Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 418 students attended West Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of West Elementary School?

Students at West Elementary School are 49% White, 30% African American, 14% Two or more races, 6% Hispanic.

What schools do graduates of West Elementary School attend?

Students who attend West Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Alton Middle School High : Alton High School

West Elementary School

Summary:

West Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades 2-5 in Alton, Illinois, with 400 students. The school is part of the Alton CUSD 11 school district, which is ranked 641 out of 813 districts in Illinois and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

West Elementary School has consistently been ranked in the bottom half of Illinois elementary schools over the past decade, with a current ranking of 1338 out of 2067 schools and a 2-star rating. The school faces significant challenges, including very high chronic absenteeism rates, consistently below-average test scores across all grade levels and subject areas, and struggles in serving its diverse student population effectively. For example, only 20.1% of students were proficient or better in ELA and 19.7% were proficient or better in Math, compared to state averages of 41.2% and 28.4%, respectively.

While West Elementary School is part of the same district as several other nearby elementary schools, such as North Elementary School and East Elementary School, its performance lags significantly behind these schools. However, West Elementary School's stronger performance in serving special education and low-socioeconomic status students suggests that the school has the potential to improve if the right strategies and resources are put in place.

Detail:

Public 2-5

1513 State St
Alton, IL 62002-3456

(618) 463-2134

District: Alton CUSD 11

SchoolDigger Rank:
1338^th of 2,067 Illinois Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,708

Students who attend West Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Alton Middle School
High:	Alton High School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.6

Number of students: 418

Racial breakdown:

White:

48.8%

African American:

30.4%

Two or more races:

14.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 60%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare West Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details West Elementary School ranks worse than 64.7% of elementary schools in Illinois. It also ranks 2^nd among 3 ranked elementary schools in the Alton CUSD 11 School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 32.21. (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 Student population at West Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (48.8%), African American (30.4%), two or more races (14.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 60% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at West Elementary School is 12.6, which is the 3^rd best among 3 elementary schools in the Alton CUSD 11 School District. (See more...)

Compare West Elementary School employs 33 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at West Elementary School is $13,708. 5 elementary schools in the Alton CUSD 11 School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

West Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks West Elementary School 1338^th of 2067 Illinois public elementary schools. (See West Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

African American students:

White students:

Alton CUSD 11:

SchoolDigger ranks Alton CUSD 11 641^st of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for West Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at West Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	35.42	1467^th	2020	27.4%
2004	34.91	1502^nd	2030	26.0%
2005	50.08	1232^nd	2022	39.1%
2006	42.23	1460^th	2086	30.0%
2007	42.12	1469^th	2095	29.9%
2008	40.56	1449^th	2092	30.7%
2009	32.87	1599^th	2120	24.6%
2010	30.25	1643^rd	2139	23.2%
2011	28.18	1696^th	2147	21.0%
2012	26.58	1733^rd	2166	20.0%
2013	16.43	1888^th	2167	12.9%
2014	19.63	1768^th	2093	15.5%
2015	27.69	1486^th	2052	27.6%
2016	29.01	1451^st	2046	29.1%
2017	36.06	1269^th	2044	37.9%
2018	39.21	1199^th	2037	41.1%
2019	25.10	1581^st	2086	24.2%
2021	21.26	1532^nd	1948	21.4%
2022	22.48	1578^th	2082	24.2%
2023	24.16	1544^th	2077	25.7%
2024	32.21	1338^th	2067	35.3%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at West Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	27.94	60^th	78	23.1%
2019	18.92	78^th	89	12.4%
2022	28.28	57^th	95	40.0%
2023	17.16	79^th	93	15.1%
2024	37.19	51^st	93	45.2%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at West Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	57.68	209^th	763	72.6%
2019	31.47	798^th	1194	33.2%
2021	25.84	504^th	640	21.3%
2022	23.88	965^th	1113	13.3%
2023	42.43	565^th	1156	51.1%
2024	46.13	531^st	1195	55.6%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at West Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	31.73	1269^th	1765	28.1%
2019	24.63	1531^st	1816	15.7%
2021	20.57	1377^th	1514	9.0%
2022	24.55	1438^th	1763	18.4%
2023	22.08	1572^nd	1808	13.1%
2024	29.00	1339^th	1793	25.3%

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

Rank History for Female students at West Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	46.11	1013^th	1964	48.4%
2019	21.68	1647^th	2019	18.4%
2021	16.08	1487^th	1680	11.5%
2022	19.25	1622^nd	1970	17.7%
2023	25.60	1434^th	1957	26.7%
2024	33.14	1237^th	1942	36.3%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at West Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	44.98	395^th	907	56.4%
2024	51.99	321^st	886	63.8%

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

Rank History for Male students at West Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	35.02	1245^th	1972	36.9%
2019	30.57	1390^th	2019	31.2%
2021	24.26	1288^th	1707	24.5%
2022	27.78	1358^th	1977	31.3%
2023	23.60	1487^th	1984	25.1%
2024	31.86	1271^st	1959	35.1%

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

Rank History for African American students at West Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	41.21	350^th	698	49.9%
2019	31.42	508^th	711	28.6%
2021	28.43	353^rd	428	17.5%
2022	29.24	530^th	684	22.5%
2023	24.79	599^th	692	13.4%
2024	27.32	529^th	655	19.2%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at West Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	39.86	550^th	938	41.4%

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

Rank History for White students at West Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	37.02	940^th	1463	35.7%
2019	18.19	1284^th	1462	12.2%
2021	14.80	1213^th	1308	7.3%
2022	13.23	1328^th	1425	6.8%
2023	19.82	1215^th	1419	14.4%
2024	22.58	1149^th	1392	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 West Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2001	430	221	7	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	661
2002	401	227	5	2	2	n/a	n/a	0	637
2003	401	227	5	2	2	n/a	n/a	0	637
2004	385	201	3	6	3	n/a	n/a	0	598
2005	425	194	2	6	3	n/a	n/a	0	630
2006	418	169	1	6	3	n/a	n/a	0	597
2007	393	150	7	8	5	n/a	n/a	0	563
2008	365	150	5	7	3	n/a	n/a	18	548
2009	263	118	3	4	1	n/a	n/a	25	414
2010	304	135	7	10	3	n/a	n/a	39	498
2011	313	129	9	18	0	0	40	0	509
2012	297	135	6	21	2	0	49	0	510
2013	309	126	5	29	1	0	54	0	524
2014	307	144	3	26	1	0	55	0	536
2015	344	151	6	20	1	1	73	0	596
2016	354	139	8	21	2	1	65	0	590
2017	339	172	5	23	2	1	64	0	606
2018	317	175	3	33	3	1	54	0	586
2019	297	151	3	27	3	0	64	0	545
2020	260	141	4	26	0	0	68	0	499
2021	223	132	2	19	0	0	49	0	425
2022	222	128	2	18	0	0	47	0	417
2023	194	133	3	24	0	0	46	0	400
2024	204	127	1	26	1	0	59	0	418

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 Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2001	661	42.0	15.7	n/a
2002	637	39.0	16.3	51.2
2003	637	39.0	16.3	51.2
2004	598	37.0	16.2	44.3
2005	630	36.0	17.5	49
2006	597	36.9	16.2	48.1
2007	563	30.0	18.8	52
2008	548	32.0	17.1	56
2009	414	39.0	10.6	75.6
2010	498	39.0	12.7	66.7
2011	509	36.0	14.1	63.5
2012	510	38.0	13.4	65.5
2013	524	59.4	8.8	67.9
2014	536	38.0	14.1	68.1
2015	596	40.0	14.9	72.3
2016	590	40.0	14.7	58.6
2017	606	39.4	15.3	59.6
2018	586	40.0	14.6	55.6
2019	545	35.0	15.5	55.4
2020	499	35.0	14.2	55.1
2021	425	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	417	35.0	11.9	56.4
2023	400	30.0	13.3	65.8
2024	418	33.0	12.6	60

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 Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2001	661	42.0	15.7	n/a
2002	637	39.0	16.3	51.2
2003	637	39.0	16.3	51.2
2004	598	37.0	16.2	44.3
2005	630	36.0	17.5	49
2006	597	36.9	16.2	48.1
2007	563	30.0	18.8	52
2008	548	32.0	17.1	56
2009	414	39.0	10.6	75.6
2010	498	39.0	12.7	66.7
2011	509	36.0	14.1	63.5
2012	510	38.0	13.4	65.5
2013	524	59.4	8.8	67.9
2014	536	38.0	14.1	68.1
2015	596	40.0	14.9	72.3
2016	590	40.0	14.7	58.6
2017	606	39.4	15.3	59.6
2018	586	40.0	14.6	55.6
2019	545	35.0	15.5	55.4
2020	499	35.0	14.2	55.1
2021	425	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	417	35.0	11.9	56.4
2023	400	30.0	13.3	65.8
2024	418	33.0	12.6	60

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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