Is Central Junior High a good school?

Central Junior High ranks 555 th of 1363 Illinois middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Central Junior High?

In the 2023-24 school year, 218 students attended Central Junior High.

What is the racial makeup of Central Junior High?

Students at Central Junior High are 53% White, 28% Hispanic, 11% African American, 9% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of Central Junior High attend?

Students who attend Central Junior High usually go on to attend Kewanee High School

Central Junior High

Summary:

Central Junior High is a public middle school located in Kewanee, Illinois, serving grades 7-8 with a total enrollment of 250 students. It is part of the Kewanee CUSD 229 district, which is ranked 389 out of 813 districts in Illinois and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Central Junior High outperforms the district and the state in English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency, with 62.2% of students proficient or better compared to 42.7% for the district and 41.2% for the state. However, the school lags behind in Mathematics proficiency, with only 11.4% of students proficient or better, compared to 18.5% for the district and 28.4% for the state. Additionally, Central Junior High has seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 6.4% in 2020-2021 to 43.2% in 2023-2024, which is much higher than the state average. The school performs relatively well for its African American and Hispanic student subgroups, but struggles with its Special Education and Disabled student subgroups.

Comparing Central Junior High to nearby schools, its performance is generally on par with its in-district counterpart, Central Elementary, which also struggles with Mathematics proficiency. However, Geneseo Middle School, a nearby school in the Geneseo CUSD 228 district, outperforms Central Junior High in both ELA and Mathematics proficiency. Additionally, Bureau Valley Elementary and JH and Bradford Junior High School are standout performers, significantly outperforming Central Junior High across all subject areas.

Detail:

Public 7-8

215 E Central Blvd
Kewanee, IL 61443-2354

(309) 853-4290

District: Kewanee CUSD 229

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,663

Students who attend Central Junior High usually attend:

High:

Kewanee High School

Feeder schools for Central Junior High:

Elementary:	Belle Alexander Elementary School
	Irving Elementary School
	Neponset Grade School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.7

Number of students: 218

Racial breakdown:

White:

52.8%

Hispanic:

27.5%

African American:

10.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 77.1%

See top rated Illinois middle schools

Compare Central Junior High to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Central Junior High ranks better than 59.3% of middle schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 53.17. (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 (52.8%), Hispanic (27.5%), African American (10.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 77.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Central Junior High is 14.7. (See more...)

Compare Central Junior High employs 14.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Central Junior High is $15,663.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Central Junior High:

SchoolDigger ranks Central Junior High 555^th of 1363 Illinois public middle schools. (See Central Junior High in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Kewanee CUSD 229:

SchoolDigger ranks Kewanee CUSD 229 389^th of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Central Junior High

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Rank History for all students at Central Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2006	46.01	801^st	1272	37.0%
2007	38.36	912^th	1287	29.1%
2008	21.35	1075^th	1293	16.9%
2009	30.77	1006^th	1318	23.7%
2010	42.30	895^th	1327	32.6%
2011	38.60	948^th	1344	29.5%
2012	21.43	1153^rd	1365	15.5%
2013	39.51	873^rd	1367	36.1%
2014	49.48	696^th	1322	47.4%
2015	20.57	1061^st	1302	18.5%
2016	23.57	1029^th	1294	20.5%
2017	26.42	958^th	1293	25.9%
2018	22.82	1009^th	1293	22.0%
2019	43.06	723^rd	1356	46.7%
2021	29.78	830^th	1241	33.1%
2022	42.13	712^th	1369	48.0%
2023	49.38	601^st	1367	56.0%
2024	53.17	555^th	1363	59.3%

See the entire list of Illinois Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Central Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	14.85	175^th	194	9.8%

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

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Central Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	42.86	215^th	454	52.6%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Central Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	34.55	372^nd	602	38.2%
2019	29.17	605^th	792	23.6%
2021	26.00	472^nd	548	13.9%
2022	30.97	574^th	781	26.5%
2023	22.67	709^th	805	11.9%
2024	21.43	706^th	802	12.0%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Central Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	26.28	921^st	1161	20.7%
2019	46.83	606^th	1217	50.2%
2021	34.04	678^th	1019	33.5%
2022	48.41	542^nd	1221	55.6%
2023	58.68	384^th	1234	68.9%
2024	61.15	360^th	1219	70.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at Central Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	16.96	1058^th	1226	13.7%
2019	41.69	718^th	1276	43.7%
2021	31.50	670^th	1017	34.1%
2022	45.73	622^nd	1286	51.6%
2023	52.17	522^nd	1275	59.1%
2024	52.25	518^th	1251	58.6%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Central Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	22.45	627^th	674	7.0%
2024	25.68	544^th	639	14.9%

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

Rank History for Male students at Central Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	30.02	832^nd	1223	32.0%
2019	44.53	643^rd	1296	50.4%
2021	25.07	794^th	1048	24.2%
2022	39.46	704^th	1286	45.3%
2023	44.93	629^th	1292	51.3%
2024	52.96	505^th	1264	60.0%

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

Rank History for African American students at Central Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	40.54	284^th	511	44.4%
2019	40.38	313^th	565	44.6%
2021	37.62	222^nd	385	42.3%
2023	57.28	169^th	569	70.3%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Central Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	17.85	544^th	590	7.8%
2019	50.81	276^th	639	56.8%
2021	23.22	438^th	517	15.3%
2022	38.59	393^rd	662	40.6%
2023	56.79	217^th	661	67.2%
2024	55.19	227^th	643	64.7%

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

Rank History for White students at Central Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	9.92	848^th	889	4.6%
2019	28.05	674^th	905	25.5%
2021	21.01	669^th	813	17.7%
2022	32.69	611^th	898	32.0%
2023	38.51	546^th	895	39.0%
2024	41.42	505^th	875	42.3%

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
Monday, August 1, 2011

Teachers communicate well with the parents. Good Administration Close Quote

Enrollment information for Central Junior High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2005	213	16	0	43	0	n/a	n/a	8	280
2006	210	18	0	53	0	n/a	n/a	5	286
2007	188	24	0	52	0	n/a	n/a	10	274
2008	168	23	0	41	0	n/a	n/a	15	247
2009	189	15	1	58	1	n/a	n/a	11	275
2010	185	16	1	44	0	n/a	n/a	5	251
2011	153	23	0	35	0	0	0	0	211
2012	171	29	0	49	0	0	0	0	249
2013	186	33	1	57	0	0	1	0	278
2014	173	34	1	50	0	0	1	0	259
2015	174	31	0	39	0	0	2	0	246
2016	187	26	0	41	0	0	2	0	256
2017	187	27	0	40	2	0	4	0	260
2018	169	17	0	41	2	0	4	0	233
2019	172	16	0	54	0	0	5	0	247
2020	162	26	1	47	0	0	12	0	248
2021	166	28	1	58	0	0	16	0	269
2022	159	25	1	74	0	1	14	0	274
2023	140	22	1	63	0	0	24	0	250
2024	115	23	0	60	0	0	20	0	218

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 Central Junior High

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2005	280	13.8	20.3	n/a
2006	286	16.0	17.9	n/a
2007	274	15.0	18.3	n/a
2008	247	15.0	16.5	n/a
2009	275	16.5	16.7	n/a
2010	251	18.5	13.5	n/a
2011	211	19.0	11.1	n/a
2012	249	17.0	14.6	77.9
2013	278	14.0	19.8	70.1
2014	259	11.0	23.5	68.7
2015	246	15.0	16.4	77.2
2016	256	16.0	16.0	73
2017	260	17.5	14.8	74.2
2018	233	15.5	14.9	72.1
2019	247	16.4	15.0	74.1
2020	248	17.8	13.9	77
2021	269	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	274	19.4	14.1	73
2023	250	18.4	13.5	n/a
2024	218	14.8	14.7	77.1

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 Central Junior High

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2005	280	13.8	20.3	n/a
2006	286	16.0	17.9	n/a
2007	274	15.0	18.3	n/a
2008	247	15.0	16.5	n/a
2009	275	16.5	16.7	n/a
2010	251	18.5	13.5	n/a
2011	211	19.0	11.1	n/a
2012	249	17.0	14.6	77.9
2013	278	14.0	19.8	70.1
2014	259	11.0	23.5	68.7
2015	246	15.0	16.4	77.2
2016	256	16.0	16.0	73
2017	260	17.5	14.8	74.2
2018	233	15.5	14.9	72.1
2019	247	16.4	15.0	74.1
2020	248	17.8	13.9	77
2021	269	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	274	19.4	14.1	73
2023	250	18.4	13.5	n/a
2024	218	14.8	14.7	77.1

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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