Is Watseka Community High School a good school?

Watseka Community High School ranks 152 nd of 697 Illinois high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Watseka Community High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 286 students attended Watseka Community High School.

What is the racial makeup of Watseka Community High School?

Students at Watseka Community High School are 83% White, 13% Hispanic, 2% African American, 2% Two or more races.

What schools feed into Watseka Community High School?

Watseka Community High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Wanda Kendall Elementary School Middle : Watseka Junior High School

Watseka Community High School

Summary:

Watseka Community High School is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in Watseka, Illinois, which is part of the Iroquois County CUSD 9 district. With 282 students, the school has shown mixed academic performance, with strengths in English Language Arts and science but challenges in math proficiency and graduation rates.

Academically, Watseka Community High School outperformed the state average in 11th grade SAT English Language Arts, with 42.9% of students proficient or better compared to the state's 31.1%. The school also performed well in science, with 59% of students proficient or better on the ISA Science assessment, exceeding the state's 53.2%. However, the school lagged behind the state in 11th grade SAT Math, with only 22.2% of students proficient or better compared to the state's 26.1%. Watseka's four-year graduation rate has fluctuated between 79.2% and 85.0% in recent years, generally lower than the state average. The school has also seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 16.7% in 2019-2020 to 30.5% in 2023-2024, which is higher than the state average.

Compared to nearby schools, Watseka Community High School generally outperforms St. Anne Community High School and Iroquois West High School in academic metrics, graduation rates, and student-teacher ratios. However, it lags behind the higher-performing Cissna Park Senior High School, Central High School, and Donovan Senior High School in several areas.

Detail:

Public 9-12

138 S Belmont Ave
Watseka, IL 60970-1709

(815) 432-2486

District: Iroquois County CUSD 9

SchoolDigger Rank:
152^nd of 697 Illinois High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,152

Feeder schools for Watseka Community High School:

Elementary:	Wanda Kendall Elementary School
Middle:	Watseka Junior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.1

Number of students: 286

Racial breakdown:

White:

82.9%

Hispanic:

12.9%

African American:

1.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 54.9%

See top rated Illinois high schools

Compare Watseka Community High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Watseka Community High School ranks better than 78.2% of high schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 72.34. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Watseka Community High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

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 (82.9%), Hispanic (12.9%), African American (1.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 54.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Watseka Community High School is 12.1. (See more...)

Compare Watseka Community High School employs 23.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Watseka Community High School is $16,152.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Watseka Community High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Watseka Community High School 152^nd of 697 Illinois public high schools. (See Watseka Community High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Iroquois County CUSD 9:

SchoolDigger ranks Iroquois County CUSD 9 292^nd of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Watseka Community High School

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Rank History for all students at Watseka Community High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	43.04	397^th	586	32.3%
2004	54.26	306^th	592	48.3%
2005	47.68	358^th	590	39.3%
2006	71.42	157^th	596	73.7%
2007	45.06	378^th	612	38.2%
2008	60.99	273^rd	624	56.3%
2009	42.74	414^th	632	34.5%
2010	52.54	358^th	643	44.3%
2011	44.33	410^th	655	37.4%
2012	52.53	365^th	665	45.1%
2013	50.66	371^st	670	44.6%
2014	42.70	427^th	670	36.3%
2015	38.86	357^th	614	41.9%
2016	59.74	184^th	643	71.4%
2017	53.12	285^th	642	55.6%
2018	49.48	322^nd	647	50.2%
2019	42.35	407^th	701	41.9%
2021	49.09	304^th	688	55.8%
2022	59.06	263^rd	699	62.4%
2023	58.94	251^st	699	64.1%
2024	72.34	152^nd	697	78.2%

See the entire list of Illinois High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Watseka Community High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	67.89	80^th	453	82.3%
2023	46.40	181^st	476	62.0%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Watseka Community High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	44.04	323^rd	585	44.8%
2019	51.26	284^th	639	55.6%
2021	41.05	327^th	611	46.5%
2022	53.22	257^th	626	58.9%
2023	66.21	157^th	644	75.6%
2024	69.57	135^th	639	78.9%

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

Rank History for Female students at Watseka Community High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	46.20	329^th	620	46.9%
2019	40.01	402^nd	665	39.5%
2021	62.12	207^th	639	67.6%
2022	72.56	151^st	658	77.1%
2023	52.48	298^th	656	54.6%
2024	78.57	118^th	664	82.2%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Watseka Community High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	39.59	215^th	428	49.8%

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

Rank History for Male students at Watseka Community High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	49.62	311^th	619	49.8%
2019	43.52	370^th	675	45.2%
2021	34.30	408^th	653	37.5%
2022	38.47	415^th	664	37.5%
2023	61.44	214^th	668	68.0%
2024	61.42	210^th	668	68.6%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Watseka Community High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	29.54	213^th	291	26.8%
2024	48.00	141^st	336	58.0%

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

Rank History for White students at Watseka Community High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	34.72	355^th	548	35.2%
2019	28.65	401^st	552	27.4%
2021	38.53	298^th	553	46.1%
2022	40.36	327^th	560	41.6%
2023	40.74	310^th	557	44.3%
2024	63.39	164^th	554	70.4%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High 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 Watseka Community High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	361	n/a	5	1	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	367
1990	350	1	4	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	358
1991	324	1	3	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	331
1992	326	1	1	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	331
1993	335	1	0	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	339
1994	366	0	0	5	2	n/a	n/a	0	373
1995	403	1	1	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	411
1996	403	1	1	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	411
1997	420	3	2	5	2	n/a	n/a	0	432
1998	415	2	2	7	2	n/a	n/a	0	428
1999	394	2	3	8	3	n/a	n/a	0	410
2000	380	1	2	6	2	n/a	n/a	0	391
2001	343	2	0	6	2	n/a	n/a	0	353
2002	335	4	0	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	350
2003	335	4	0	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	350
2004	346	7	1	12	0	n/a	n/a	0	366
2005	362	3	3	14	0	n/a	n/a	4	386
2006	373	2	3	15	0	n/a	n/a	7	400
2007	364	4	3	12	2	n/a	n/a	5	390
2008	387	9	3	19	0	n/a	n/a	5	423
2009	382	10	5	18	0	n/a	n/a	5	420
2010	316	10	5	20	0	n/a	n/a	9	360
2011	347	7	4	20	0	0	11	0	389
2012	332	4	6	17	3	0	12	0	374
2013	346	5	3	20	0	0	14	0	388
2014	335	6	6	21	1	0	9	0	378
2015	311	7	7	29	1	0	6	0	361
2016	304	7	6	33	1	0	9	0	360
2017	295	7	4	37	1	0	4	0	348
2018	292	7	4	31	1	0	8	0	343
2019	294	3	3	33	1	0	4	0	338
2020	270	3	2	38	1	0	7	0	321
2021	281	7	3	42	1	0	4	0	338
2022	253	6	2	44	0	0	6	0	311
2023	234	4	1	37	0	0	6	0	282
2024	237	5	2	37	0	0	5	0	286

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 Watseka Community High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	367	21.5	17.0	n/a
1990	358	21.5	16.6	n/a
1991	331	20.5	16.1	n/a
1992	331	20.5	16.1	n/a
1993	339	20.5	16.5	n/a
1994	373	21.3	17.5	n/a
1995	411	22.9	17.9	n/a
1996	411	22.9	17.9	n/a
1997	432	24.0	18.0	n/a
1998	428	24.4	17.5	n/a
1999	410	24.0	17.1	n/a
2000	391	25.0	15.6	n/a
2001	353	25.0	14.1	n/a
2002	350	23.0	15.2	35.1
2003	350	23.0	15.2	35.1
2004	366	22.0	16.6	30.9
2005	386	22.0	17.5	33.2
2006	400	23.0	17.4	36.4
2007	390	29.0	13.4	34.3
2008	423	21.0	20.1	39.2
2009	420	22.0	19.1	36.1
2010	360	22.0	16.3	45.6
2011	389	21.0	18.5	43.4
2012	374	20.0	18.7	53.7
2013	388	22.4	17.3	49.2
2014	378	22.3	16.8	55.3
2015	361	21.0	17.1	58.4
2016	360	21.0	17.1	53.1
2017	348	24.7	14.0	29.9
2018	343	24.7	13.8	53.6
2019	338	24.7	13.6	53.6
2020	321	24.2	13.2	56.4
2021	338	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	311	21.8	14.2	51.1
2023	282	22.7	12.3	56
2024	286	23.5	12.1	54.9

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 Watseka Community High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	367	21.5	17.0	n/a
1990	358	21.5	16.6	n/a
1991	331	20.5	16.1	n/a
1992	331	20.5	16.1	n/a
1993	339	20.5	16.5	n/a
1994	373	21.3	17.5	n/a
1995	411	22.9	17.9	n/a
1996	411	22.9	17.9	n/a
1997	432	24.0	18.0	n/a
1998	428	24.4	17.5	n/a
1999	410	24.0	17.1	n/a
2000	391	25.0	15.6	n/a
2001	353	25.0	14.1	n/a
2002	350	23.0	15.2	35.1
2003	350	23.0	15.2	35.1
2004	366	22.0	16.6	30.9
2005	386	22.0	17.5	33.2
2006	400	23.0	17.4	36.4
2007	390	29.0	13.4	34.3
2008	423	21.0	20.1	39.2
2009	420	22.0	19.1	36.1
2010	360	22.0	16.3	45.6
2011	389	21.0	18.5	43.4
2012	374	20.0	18.7	53.7
2013	388	22.4	17.3	49.2
2014	378	22.3	16.8	55.3
2015	361	21.0	17.1	58.4
2016	360	21.0	17.1	53.1
2017	348	24.7	14.0	29.9
2018	343	24.7	13.8	53.6
2019	338	24.7	13.6	53.6
2020	321	24.2	13.2	56.4
2021	338	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	311	21.8	14.2	51.1
2023	282	22.7	12.3	56
2024	286	23.5	12.1	54.9

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