Is Bloomington Junior High School a good school?

Bloomington Junior High School ranks in the bottom 19.6% of Illinois middle schools.

How many students attend Bloomington Junior High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,006 students attended Bloomington Junior High School.

What is the racial makeup of Bloomington Junior High School?

Students at Bloomington Junior High School are 43% White, 24% African American, 17% Hispanic, 13% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What high school do graduates of Bloomington Junior High School attend?

Students who attend Bloomington Junior High School usually go on to attend Bloomington High School

Bloomington Junior High School

Summary:

Bloomington Junior High School is a public middle school serving grades 6-8 in Bloomington, Illinois, with an enrollment of 1,006 students. The school is part of the Bloomington School District 87, which is ranked 687 out of 813 districts in Illinois and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Bloomington Junior High School has consistently underperformed, ranking in the bottom quarter of Illinois middle schools over the past 10 years with a current ranking of 1096 out of 1363 and a 1-star rating. The school significantly trails state averages in both English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics proficiency, with only 19.7% of students proficient or better in ELA and just 9.9% in Mathematics, compared to state averages of 41.2% and 28.4%, respectively. The school also struggles to effectively serve its diverse student population, with subgroups like African American, Hispanic, and Multi-racial students, as well as English Language Learners and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, performing in the bottom 10-20% of Illinois middle schools.

Compared to nearby middle schools, such as Tri-Valley Middle School, Lexington Junior High School, and EPG Middle School, Bloomington Junior High School is a clear underperformer, despite spending more per student than the state average. This suggests that the school may need to re-evaluate its resource allocation and focus on evidence-based strategies to improve student learning and address the concerning trend of increasing chronic absenteeism, which has risen from 13.1% in 2019-2020 to 41.1% in 2021-2022.

Detail:

Public 6-8

901 Colton Ave
Bloomington, IL 61701-3374

(309) 827-0086

District: Bloomington School District 87

SchoolDigger Rank:
1096^th of 1,363 Illinois Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,888

Students who attend Bloomington Junior High School usually attend:

High:

Bloomington High School

Feeder schools for Bloomington Junior High School:

Elementary:	Bent Elementary School
	Irving Elementary School
	Oakland Elementary School
	Sheridan Elementary School
	More...
	Stevenson Elementary School
	Washington Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.4

Number of students: 1,006

Racial breakdown:

White:

43.4%

African American:

23.8%

Hispanic:

16.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 64.4%

See top rated Illinois middle schools

Compare Bloomington Junior High School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Bloomington Junior High School ranks worse than 80.4% of middle schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 20.13. (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 Bloomington Junior High School is $16,888.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Bloomington Junior High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Bloomington Junior High School 1096^th of 1363 Illinois public middle schools. (See Bloomington Junior High School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

Asian students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Bloomington School District 87:

SchoolDigger ranks Bloomington School District 87 687^th of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Bloomington Junior High School

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Rank History for all students at Bloomington Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	56.80	578^th	1185	51.2%
2004	61.65	531^st	1204	55.9%
2005	59.94	577^th	1209	52.3%
2006	57.48	632^nd	1272	50.3%
2007	54.77	685^th	1287	46.8%
2008	51.71	736^th	1293	43.1%
2009	48.84	795^th	1318	39.7%
2010	55.57	698^th	1327	47.4%
2011	49.57	777^th	1344	42.2%
2012	43.68	891^st	1365	34.7%
2013	47.58	732^nd	1367	46.5%
2014	42.13	795^th	1322	39.9%
2015	43.58	654^th	1302	49.8%
2016	34.36	826^th	1294	36.2%
2017	35.35	817^th	1293	36.8%
2018	35.70	802^nd	1293	38.0%
2019	35.50	838^th	1356	38.2%
2021	31.46	792^nd	1241	36.2%
2022	26.42	971^st	1369	29.1%
2023	25.87	993^rd	1367	27.4%
2024	20.13	1096^th	1363	19.6%

See the entire list of Illinois Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Bloomington Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	22.09	129^th	164	21.3%
2019	16.39	149^th	179	16.8%
2021	17.77	83^rd	97	14.4%
2022	10.47	191^st	195	2.1%
2023	17.03	169^th	194	12.9%
2024	11.69	177^th	184	3.8%

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

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Bloomington Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	32.69	232^nd	285	18.6%
2019	29.32	305^th	339	10.0%
2022	37.71	288^th	454	36.6%
2023	34.92	327^th	480	31.9%
2024	25.71	439^th	486	9.7%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Bloomington Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	29.46	438^th	602	27.2%
2019	28.77	616^th	792	22.2%
2021	27.61	459^th	548	16.2%
2022	27.85	634^th	781	18.8%
2023	26.51	619^th	805	23.1%
2024	25.18	642^nd	802	20.0%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	27.68	885^th	1161	23.8%
2019	29.32	916^th	1217	24.7%
2021	21.33	900^th	1019	11.7%
2022	19.86	1095^th	1221	10.3%
2023	19.49	1096^th	1234	11.2%
2024	15.53	1140^th	1219	6.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at Bloomington Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	35.55	783^rd	1226	36.1%
2019	34.63	835^th	1276	34.6%
2021	30.69	685^th	1017	32.6%
2022	24.61	964^th	1286	25.0%
2023	25.57	931^st	1275	27.0%
2024	19.84	1019^th	1251	18.5%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Bloomington Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	24.82	565^th	674	16.2%
2024	28.67	485^th	639	24.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at Bloomington Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	35.54	748^th	1223	38.8%
2019	35.83	789^th	1296	39.1%
2021	28.67	738^th	1048	29.6%
2022	29.16	886^th	1286	31.1%
2023	26.33	934^th	1292	27.7%
2024	20.71	1014^th	1264	19.8%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Bloomington Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	56.46	85^th	209	59.3%
2019	52.87	101^st	201	49.8%
2022	61.31	81^st	198	59.1%
2024	66.38	61^st	184	66.8%

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

Rank History for African American students at Bloomington Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	36.03	323^rd	511	36.8%
2019	30.91	420^th	565	25.7%
2021	22.04	372^nd	385	3.4%
2022	27.66	474^th	573	17.3%
2023	29.69	424^th	569	25.5%
2024	20.79	504^th	548	8.0%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Bloomington Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	28.09	460^th	590	22.0%
2019	26.21	521^st	639	18.5%
2021	23.88	434^th	517	16.1%
2022	18.57	619^th	662	6.5%
2023	15.30	631^st	661	4.5%
2024	13.18	623^rd	643	3.1%

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

Rank History for White students at Bloomington Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	28.20	667^th	889	25.0%
2019	30.92	634^th	905	29.9%
2021	32.52	545^th	813	33.0%
2022	22.13	739^th	898	17.7%
2023	21.51	766^th	895	14.4%
2024	15.89	776^th	875	11.3%

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.

Data source: Illinois State Board of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Sunday, September 4, 2016

Proud to have my 6th & 7th graders attend BJHS! Excellent teachers & school. Huge improvement in education since leaving Unit 5. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Bloomington Junior High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	641	103	17	14	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	775
1989	610	121	13	17	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	761
1990	615	118	13	24	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	770
1991	995	221	19	39	0	n/a	n/a	0	1274
1992	1033	253	21	42	0	n/a	n/a	0	1349
1993	1062	245	17	33	0	n/a	n/a	0	1357
1994	1070	269	21	35	0	n/a	n/a	0	1395
1995	980	276	12	34	1	n/a	n/a	0	1303
1996	980	276	12	34	1	n/a	n/a	0	1303
1997	991	248	11	41	1	n/a	n/a	0	1292
1998	1018	245	12	35	0	n/a	n/a	0	1310
1999	1003	261	12	46	1	n/a	n/a	0	1323
2000	966	281	19	52	4	n/a	n/a	0	1322
2001	931	285	25	63	5	n/a	n/a	0	1309
2002	957	326	30	64	0	n/a	n/a	0	1377
2003	957	326	30	64	0	n/a	n/a	0	1377
2004	899	337	40	73	0	n/a	n/a	0	1349
2005	857	347	45	89	0	n/a	n/a	0	1338
2006	774	307	33	94	1	n/a	n/a	45	1254
2007	776	305	29	91	1	n/a	n/a	58	1260
2008	709	276	28	93	3	n/a	n/a	82	1191
2009	728	309	35	96	1	n/a	n/a	59	1228
2010	656	293	39	92	3	n/a	n/a	63	1146
2011	650	289	27	125	3	1	85	0	1180
2012	618	288	23	123	5	2	80	0	1139
2013	621	293	28	151	4	1	91	0	1189
2014	620	283	42	145	2	2	102	0	1196
2015	602	294	34	147	3	1	106	0	1187
2016	607	295	43	155	3	1	124	0	1228
2017	592	269	43	165	4	0	130	0	1203
2018	596	284	45	184	3	0	135	0	1247
2019	578	285	43	182	7	0	122	0	1217
2020	590	279	38	178	3	0	116	0	1204
2021	558	265	33	165	5	2	124	0	1152
2022	492	258	25	165	2	1	121	0	1064
2023	437	239	24	168	3	2	133	0	1006

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 Bloomington Junior High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	775	51.7	14.9	n/a
1989	761	50.4	15.0	n/a
1990	770	50.9	15.1	n/a
1991	1274	79.8	15.9	n/a
1992	1349	82.2	16.4	n/a
1993	1357	78.0	17.4	n/a
1994	1395	78.9	17.7	n/a
1995	1303	73.6	17.7	n/a
1996	1303	73.6	17.7	n/a
1997	1292	74.6	17.3	n/a
1998	1310	75.8	17.3	n/a
1999	1323	77.5	17.1	n/a
2000	1322	76.0	17.4	n/a
2001	1309	77.3	16.9	n/a
2002	1377	87.0	15.8	40.3
2003	1377	87.0	15.8	40.3
2004	1349	82.7	16.3	40.3
2005	1338	79.9	16.7	43.3
2006	1254	81.0	15.5	46.7
2007	1260	69.0	18.3	49.3
2008	1191	66.0	18.0	52.7
2009	1228	76.7	16.0	53.6
2010	1146	78.5	14.6	55.7
2011	1180	80.3	14.6	54.7
2012	1139	78.0	14.6	55.2
2013	1189	101.7	11.6	58.5
2014	1196	75.5	15.8	57.3
2015	1187	75.0	15.8	59.1
2016	1228	76.0	16.1	57.3
2017	1203	77.5	15.5	59.4
2018	1247	79.9	15.6	59.4
2019	1217	78.0	15.6	61.1
2020	1204	80.2	15.0	59.9
2021	1152	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	1064	79.0	13.4	52.1
2023	1006	81.0	12.4	64.4

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 Bloomington Junior High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	775	51.7	14.9	n/a
1989	761	50.4	15.0	n/a
1990	770	50.9	15.1	n/a
1991	1274	79.8	15.9	n/a
1992	1349	82.2	16.4	n/a
1993	1357	78.0	17.4	n/a
1994	1395	78.9	17.7	n/a
1995	1303	73.6	17.7	n/a
1996	1303	73.6	17.7	n/a
1997	1292	74.6	17.3	n/a
1998	1310	75.8	17.3	n/a
1999	1323	77.5	17.1	n/a
2000	1322	76.0	17.4	n/a
2001	1309	77.3	16.9	n/a
2002	1377	87.0	15.8	40.3
2003	1377	87.0	15.8	40.3
2004	1349	82.7	16.3	40.3
2005	1338	79.9	16.7	43.3
2006	1254	81.0	15.5	46.7
2007	1260	69.0	18.3	49.3
2008	1191	66.0	18.0	52.7
2009	1228	76.7	16.0	53.6
2010	1146	78.5	14.6	55.7
2011	1180	80.3	14.6	54.7
2012	1139	78.0	14.6	55.2
2013	1189	101.7	11.6	58.5
2014	1196	75.5	15.8	57.3
2015	1187	75.0	15.8	59.1
2016	1228	76.0	16.1	57.3
2017	1203	77.5	15.5	59.4
2018	1247	79.9	15.6	59.4
2019	1217	78.0	15.6	61.1
2020	1204	80.2	15.0	59.9
2021	1152	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	1064	79.0	13.4	52.1
2023	1006	81.0	12.4	64.4

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.

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