Is Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School a good school?

Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School ranks in the bottom 14.3% of Illinois elementary schools.

How many students attend Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 312 students attended Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School?

Students at Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School are 86% White, 7% Two or more races, 4% African American, 3% Hispanic.

What schools do graduates of Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Bushnell-Prairie City Junior High School High : Bushnell-Prairie City High School

Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School

Summary:

Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-5 in Bushnell, Illinois, with 322 students. The school is part of the Bushnell Prairie City CUSD 170 district, which is ranked 732 out of 813 districts in Illinois and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School consistently ranks in the bottom 15% of Illinois elementary schools, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Its proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics are significantly below the state averages, with only 12.4% and 8.3% of students proficient or better, respectively, in 2023-2024. The school has also struggled with high chronic absenteeism rates, reaching as high as 32.0% in 2022-2023, more than double the state average. Additionally, 65.22% of the school's students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds. The school's spending per student is relatively low, at $16,362 in 2022-2023, compared to the state average.

When comparing Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School to nearby schools, it becomes clear that the school is underperforming compared to its peers. For example, West Prairie South Elementary School, located 17.89 miles away, has significantly higher proficiency rates in both English Language Arts (52.5%) and Mathematics (25%) for the 2023-2024 school year, as well as a lower chronic absenteeism rate of 8.2%. The school's performance has also been declining over the years, with its statewide ranking dropping from 1232 out of 2093 Illinois elementary schools in 2013-2014 to 1772 out of 2067 in 2023-2024.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

345 E Hess St
Bushnell, IL 61422-1419

(309) 772-9464

District: Bushnell Prairie City CUSD 170

SchoolDigger Rank:
1772^nd of 2,067 Illinois Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,135

Students who attend Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Bushnell-Prairie City Junior High School
High:	Bushnell-Prairie City High School

Student/teacher ratio: 10.4

Number of students: 312

Racial breakdown:

White:

85.6%

Two or more races:

7.4%

African American:

4.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 59%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School ranks worse than 85.7% of elementary schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 17.02. (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 (85.6%), two or more races (7.4%), African American (4.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 59% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School is 10.4. (See more...)

Compare Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School employs 29.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School is $16,135.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School 1772^nd of 2067 Illinois public elementary schools. (See Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

White students:

Bushnell Prairie City CUSD 170:

SchoolDigger ranks Bushnell Prairie City CUSD 170 732^nd of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School.

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Rank History for Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	42.71	1348^th	2020	33.3%
2004	65.36	831^st	2030	59.1%
2005	56.51	1087^th	2022	46.2%
2006	47.04	1361^st	2086	34.8%
2007	40.74	1491^st	2095	28.8%
2008	32.29	1587^th	2092	24.1%
2009	43.66	1396^th	2120	34.2%
2010	32.05	1627^th	2139	23.9%
2011	38.44	1510^th	2147	29.7%
2012	41.28	1484^th	2166	31.5%
2013	38.45	1433^rd	2167	33.9%
2014	44.25	1232^nd	2093	41.1%
2015	25.12	1560^th	2052	24.0%
2016	33.11	1344^th	2046	34.3%
2017	19.24	1708^th	2044	16.4%
2018	26.97	1494^th	2037	26.7%
2019	18.00	1790^th	2086	14.2%
2022	22.32	1582^nd	2082	24.0%
2023	22.31	1599^th	2077	23.0%
2024	17.02	1772^nd	2067	14.3%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	20.18	738^th	763	3.3%
2019	23.82	1011^th	1194	15.3%
2022	24.51	942^nd	1113	15.4%
2023	29.14	807^th	1156	30.2%
2024	20.33	1061^st	1195	11.2%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	40.21	1058^th	1765	40.1%
2019	25.99	1487^th	1816	18.1%
2022	24.61	1435^th	1763	18.6%
2023	26.84	1424^th	1808	21.2%
2024	17.42	1671^st	1793	6.8%

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

Rank History for Female students at Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	35.04	1261^st	1964	35.8%
2019	23.97	1574^th	2019	22.0%
2022	23.06	1513^th	1970	23.2%
2023	30.15	1320^th	1957	32.5%
2024	19.52	1609^th	1942	17.1%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	27.46	693^rd	907	23.6%
2024	28.86	655^th	886	26.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	19.87	1648^th	1972	16.4%
2019	15.39	1824^th	2019	9.7%
2022	24.17	1460^th	1977	26.2%
2023	18.13	1670^th	1984	15.8%
2024	15.80	1737^th	1959	11.3%

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

Rank History for White students at Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	13.05	1370^th	1463	6.4%
2019	7.14	1428^th	1462	2.3%
2022	7.59	1390^th	1425	2.5%
2023	9.53	1363^rd	1419	3.9%
2024	6.51	1366^th	1392	1.9%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Worst school district I've ever delt with. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	437	1	n/a	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	443
1990	457	n/a	1	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	463
1991	486	1	0	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	490
1992	476	1	1	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	482
1993	470	4	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	475
1994	456	4	1	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	466
1995	444	3	0	7	2	n/a	n/a	0	456
1996	444	3	0	7	2	n/a	n/a	0	456
1997	428	5	8	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	451
1998	436	5	9	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	456
1999	458	4	10	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	477
2000	463	2	8	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	483
2001	444	1	9	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	456
2002	374	2	2	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	385
2003	374	2	2	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	385
2004	373	2	2	3	7	n/a	n/a	0	387
2005	353	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	15	368
2006	391	0	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	10	402
2007	381	0	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	21	404
2008	395	0	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	21	417
2009	423	0	2	2	2	n/a	n/a	20	449
2010	410	0	0	4	2	n/a	n/a	19	435
2011	408	1	0	2	0	0	29	0	440
2012	381	0	0	2	4	0	26	0	413
2013	397	0	0	2	3	0	16	0	418
2014	378	0	0	2	2	0	17	0	399
2015	347	1	1	7	2	0	14	0	372
2016	335	0	1	5	2	0	13	0	356
2017	307	2	1	1	2	0	14	0	327
2018	296	3	0	1	0	0	12	0	312
2019	283	4	1	5	0	0	8	0	301
2020	266	6	1	4	0	0	6	0	283
2021	247	7	1	3	0	0	8	0	266
2022	261	12	1	4	0	0	13	0	291
2023	269	23	1	8	0	0	21	0	322
2024	267	14	0	8	0	0	23	0	312

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 Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	443	28.0	15.8	n/a
1990	463	28.0	16.5	n/a
1991	490	28.0	17.5	n/a
1992	482	29.0	16.6	n/a
1993	475	25.8	18.4	n/a
1994	466	28.0	16.6	n/a
1995	456	28.0	16.3	n/a
1996	456	28.0	16.3	n/a
1997	451	28.7	15.7	n/a
1998	456	29.7	15.4	n/a
1999	477	31.7	15.0	n/a
2000	483	32.9	14.7	n/a
2001	456	32.0	14.3	n/a
2002	385	32.0	12.0	51.9
2003	385	32.0	12.0	51.9
2004	387	32.0	12.1	54.5
2005	368	31.0	11.9	60.9
2006	402	30.0	13.4	54.6
2007	404	25.0	16.2	57.7
2008	417	28.0	14.9	54
2009	449	31.9	14.1	57.1
2010	435	33.0	13.1	58.9
2011	440	32.0	13.7	56.8
2012	413	32.0	12.9	58.6
2013	418	33.2	12.5	59.6
2014	399	30.0	13.3	65.4
2015	372	28.0	13.2	68.3
2016	356	26.0	13.6	59.8
2017	327	26.5	12.3	60.2
2018	312	27.7	11.2	65.7
2019	301	25.4	11.8	64.1
2020	283	27.6	10.2	60.4
2021	266	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	291	25.8	11.2	27.5
2023	322	30.7	10.4	65.2
2024	312	29.7	10.4	59

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 Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	443	28.0	15.8	n/a
1990	463	28.0	16.5	n/a
1991	490	28.0	17.5	n/a
1992	482	29.0	16.6	n/a
1993	475	25.8	18.4	n/a
1994	466	28.0	16.6	n/a
1995	456	28.0	16.3	n/a
1996	456	28.0	16.3	n/a
1997	451	28.7	15.7	n/a
1998	456	29.7	15.4	n/a
1999	477	31.7	15.0	n/a
2000	483	32.9	14.7	n/a
2001	456	32.0	14.3	n/a
2002	385	32.0	12.0	51.9
2003	385	32.0	12.0	51.9
2004	387	32.0	12.1	54.5
2005	368	31.0	11.9	60.9
2006	402	30.0	13.4	54.6
2007	404	25.0	16.2	57.7
2008	417	28.0	14.9	54
2009	449	31.9	14.1	57.1
2010	435	33.0	13.1	58.9
2011	440	32.0	13.7	56.8
2012	413	32.0	12.9	58.6
2013	418	33.2	12.5	59.6
2014	399	30.0	13.3	65.4
2015	372	28.0	13.2	68.3
2016	356	26.0	13.6	59.8
2017	327	26.5	12.3	60.2
2018	312	27.7	11.2	65.7
2019	301	25.4	11.8	64.1
2020	283	27.6	10.2	60.4
2021	266	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	291	25.8	11.2	27.5
2023	322	30.7	10.4	65.2
2024	312	29.7	10.4	59

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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