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Pekin Community High School

Summary:

Pekin Community High School is a public high school serving 1,796 students in grades 9-12 in Pekin, Illinois. The school is part of the Pekin Central School District 303, which is ranked 489 out of 813 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Pekin Community High School has seen a steady improvement in its four-year graduation rate, increasing from 85.8% in 2020-2021 to 95.1% in 2023-2024. However, the school has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 29.1% in 2019-2020 to 51.4% in 2021-2022. Additionally, the school's test scores, particularly in mathematics and English Language Arts, have been consistently lower than the state averages. For example, in 2023-2024, only 16.8% of 11th-grade students were proficient or better in SAT Mathematics, compared to the state average of 26.1%.

When comparing Pekin Community High School to nearby schools, such as Illini Bluffs High School and Morton High School, the latter two consistently outperform Pekin Community High School in terms of test scores, graduation rates, and chronic absenteeism. This suggests that Pekin Community High School may need to learn from the successes of these higher-performing schools and consider the impact of socioeconomic factors, as the school serves a population with a relatively high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 1903 Court St
       Pekin, IL  61554-5212

(309) 347-4101

District: Pekin Central School District 303

SchoolDigger Rank:
339th of 697 Illinois High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $16,649 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  16.1 Help
Number of students:  1,796

Racial breakdown:

White:
89.1%
Two or more races:
4.4%
Hispanic:
4.0%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  48.2% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Pekin Community High School ranks better than 51.4% of high schools in Illinois. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 46.47. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Pekin Community High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
Help
The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Help
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
Teachers
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Pekin Community High School is $16,649.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Pekin Community High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Pekin Community High School 339th of 697 Illinois public high schools. (See Pekin Community High School in the ranking list.)

High 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:


Pekin Central School District 303:

SchoolDigger ranks Pekin Central School District 303 489th of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Pekin Community High School?

Rank History for Pekin Community High School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Pekin Community High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 60.33 251st 586 57.2%
2004 48.77 360th 592 39.2%
2005 60.03 262nd 590 55.6%
2006 50.53 343rd 596 42.4%
2007 56.52 300th 612 51.0%
2008 45.93 392nd 624 37.2%
2009 48.87 370th 632 41.5%
2010 46.76 412th 643 35.9%
2011 68.14 229th 655 65.0%
2012 60.02 288th 665 56.7%
2013 55.79 335th 670 50.0%
2014 60.67 281st 670 58.1%
2015 70.63 141st 614 77.0%
2016 68.00 125th 643 80.6%
2017 60.36 241st 642 62.5%
2018 60.02 239th 647 63.1%
2019 63.04 213th 701 69.6%
2021 51.31 294th 688 57.3%
2022 57.60 272nd 699 61.1%
2023 59.53 248th 699 64.5%
2024 46.47 339th 697 51.4%
See the entire list of Illinois High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Pekin Community High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 19.49 121st 154 21.4%
2019 37.57 97th 165 41.2%
2021 42.52 88th 160 45.0%
2022 56.88 70th 170 58.8%
2023 34.70 99th 163 39.3%
See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Pekin Community High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 31.14 241st 374 35.6%
2019 36.91 241st 473 49.0%
2021 36.36 239th 453 47.2%
2022 31.21 286th 493 42.0%
2023 42.98 199th 476 58.2%
2024 47.23 179th 482 62.9%
See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Special Education Students!

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

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 65.51 150th 585 74.4%
2019 68.54 135th 639 78.9%
2021 52.94 226th 611 63.0%
2022 62.29 177th 626 71.7%
2023 49.67 291st 644 54.8%
2024 38.79 369th 639 42.3%
See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Pekin Community High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 53.56 282nd 620 54.5%
2019 62.52 222nd 665 66.6%
2021 53.95 256th 639 59.9%
2022 58.93 254th 658 61.4%
2023 54.49 278th 656 57.6%
2024 39.26 374th 664 43.7%
See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Pekin Community High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 54.21 127th 428 70.3%
2024 38.19 198th 429 53.8%
See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Pekin Community High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 62.93 206th 619 66.7%
2019 61.33 213th 675 68.4%
2021 43.97 337th 653 48.4%
2022 53.90 281st 664 57.7%
2023 61.94 212th 668 68.3%
2024 51.58 282nd 668 57.8%
See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Pekin Community High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 70.05 67th 317 78.9%
2021 23.36 257th 317 18.9%
2022 57.30 112th 335 66.6%
2023 41.29 182nd 333 45.3%
2024 41.54 171st 336 49.1%
See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Pekin Community High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 45.57 273rd 548 50.2%
2019 47.48 248th 552 55.1%
2021 33.99 340th 553 38.5%
2022 38.49 341st 560 39.1%
2023 44.97 276th 557 50.4%
2024 28.75 385th 554 30.5%
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.

Pekin Community High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 
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Data source: Illinois State Board of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a citizen
Sunday, September 18, 2011

Open Quote I was a student many years ago at Pekin Community High School. As a matter of fact I was a drop out. But I wish I hadn't because Pekin is on an academic level, preparing teens for adulthood.

The teachers are excellent

The administration/deans/principles/superintendant is corrupt
In their eyes if youre kid aint rich he or she aint gittin educated

But as for the teachers they do their best to make that school run every single day

John Taylor Close Quote



Enrollment information for Pekin Community High School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1989 1244 1 2 1 n/a n/a n/a 0 1248
1990 1249 1 3 n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 1253
1991 1198 1 8 1 1 n/a n/a 0 1209
1992 1224 1 7 3 0 n/a n/a 0 1235
1993 1209 2 9 5 0 n/a n/a 0 1225
1994 2245 5 12 5 0 n/a n/a 0 2267
1995 2397 7 6 9 0 n/a n/a 0 2419
1996 2397 7 6 9 0 n/a n/a 0 2419
1997 2198 4 13 9 3 n/a n/a 0 2227
1998 2161 3 14 13 0 n/a n/a 0 2191
1999 2220 3 13 8 0 n/a n/a 0 2244
2000 2159 3 11 7 1 n/a n/a 0 2181
2001 2138 3 9 7 1 n/a n/a 0 2158
2002 2117 3 5 7 2 n/a n/a 0 2134
2003 2117 3 5 7 2 n/a n/a 0 2134
2004 2035 6 22 10 5 n/a n/a 0 2078
2005 2068 7 25 11 6 n/a n/a 0 2117
2006 2133 5 17 9 4 n/a n/a 0 2168
2007 2275 11 16 13 6 n/a n/a 0 2321
2008 2169 13 18 20 7 n/a n/a 14 2241
2009 2102 18 18 27 8 n/a n/a 12 2185
2010 2003 10 13 28 9 n/a n/a 15 2078
2011 1856 14 13 41 17 0 39 0 1980
2012 1866 11 13 41 13 0 37 0 1981
2013 1923 13 17 45 14 1 42 0 2055
2014 1866 16 14 45 15 1 48 0 2005
2015 1855 20 14 45 16 3 59 0 2012
2016 1846 21 12 45 17 3 62 0 2006
2017 1771 19 10 43 12 2 70 0 1927
2018 1665 13 16 52 7 0 71 0 1824
2019 1659 13 16 54 7 0 72 0 1821
2020 1605 12 16 59 4 2 82 0 1780
2021 1678 9 18 65 7 2 82 0 1861
2022 1668 12 22 69 4 0 72 0 1847
2023 1600 17 25 72 3 0 79 0 1796

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 Pekin Community High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 1248 72.0 17.3 n/a
1990 1253 72.4 17.3 n/a
1991 1209 67.9 17.8 n/a
1992 1235 74.3 16.6 n/a
1993 1225 72.3 16.9 n/a
1994 2267 109.8 20.6 n/a
1995 2419 112.6 21.5 n/a
1996 2419 112.6 21.5 n/a
1997 2227 114.4 19.5 n/a
1998 2191 116.5 18.8 n/a
1999 2244 117.7 19.1 n/a
2000 2181 115.0 19.0 n/a
2001 2158 119.9 18.0 n/a
2002 2134 119.5 17.9 26.9
2003 2134 119.5 17.9 26.9
2004 2078 116.0 17.9 26.7
2005 2117 115.2 18.4 26.7
2006 2168 114.2 19.0 28.3
2007 2321 114.0 20.4 27.1
2008 2241 101.0 22.2 28.5
2009 2185 125.0 17.5 28.6
2010 2078 123.6 16.8 36.2
2011 1980 124.0 15.9 37.6
2012 1981 122.6 16.1 38.6
2013 2055 n/a n/a 40.5
2014 2005 n/a n/a 42.5
2015 2012 122.0 16.4 49.6
2016 2006 117.0 17.1 43.5
2017 1927 112.7 17.0 44.3
2018 1824 106.8 17.0 42.4
2019 1821 111.4 16.3 44.9
2020 1780 110.1 16.1 45.6
2021 1861 n/a n/a n/a
2022 1847 112.8 16.3 47.5
2023 1796 111.5 16.1 48.2

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 Pekin Community High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 1248 72.0 17.3 n/a
1990 1253 72.4 17.3 n/a
1991 1209 67.9 17.8 n/a
1992 1235 74.3 16.6 n/a
1993 1225 72.3 16.9 n/a
1994 2267 109.8 20.6 n/a
1995 2419 112.6 21.5 n/a
1996 2419 112.6 21.5 n/a
1997 2227 114.4 19.5 n/a
1998 2191 116.5 18.8 n/a
1999 2244 117.7 19.1 n/a
2000 2181 115.0 19.0 n/a
2001 2158 119.9 18.0 n/a
2002 2134 119.5 17.9 26.9
2003 2134 119.5 17.9 26.9
2004 2078 116.0 17.9 26.7
2005 2117 115.2 18.4 26.7
2006 2168 114.2 19.0 28.3
2007 2321 114.0 20.4 27.1
2008 2241 101.0 22.2 28.5
2009 2185 125.0 17.5 28.6
2010 2078 123.6 16.8 36.2
2011 1980 124.0 15.9 37.6
2012 1981 122.6 16.1 38.6
2013 2055 n/a n/a 40.5
2014 2005 n/a n/a 42.5
2015 2012 122.0 16.4 49.6
2016 2006 117.0 17.1 43.5
2017 1927 112.7 17.0 44.3
2018 1824 106.8 17.0 42.4
2019 1821 111.4 16.3 44.9
2020 1780 110.1 16.1 45.6
2021 1861 n/a n/a n/a
2022 1847 112.8 16.3 47.5
2023 1796 111.5 16.1 48.2

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

Pekin Community High School

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Compare
YearPolioMeaslesMumpsRubellaHepatitis BVaricellaDTPMeningococcal
201599.6%99.5%99.4%99.5%99.6%99.6%99.4%
201699.6%99.4%99.4%99.4%99.6%99.4%26.5%
201799.4%99.3%99.2%99.3%99.4%99.1%99.4%24.5%
201899.5%99.3%99.2%99.3%99.5%99.1%99.6%24.2%
201999.7%99.5%99.5%99.5%99.7%99.2%99.7%52.1%
202199.7%99.3%99.3%99.3%99.7%99.3%99.7%99.3%
202299.8%99.6%99.6%99.6%99.8%99.5%99.8%99.5%
202399.6%99.2%99.2%99.2%99.6%99.4%99.6%99.0%
202499.5%99.3%99.3%99.3%99.6%99.4%99.6%99.0%

Data source: Illinois State Board of Education
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Pekin Community High School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $676 (5.7%) $11,176 (94.3%) $11,851
2020 $668 (5.4%) $11,701 (94.6%) $12,369
2021 $785 (6.4%) $11,509 (93.6%) $12,294
2022 $785 (6.4%) $11,509 (93.6%) $12,294
2023 $1,036 (6.8%) $14,206 (93.2%) $15,241
2024 $1,113 (6.7%) $15,536 (93.3%) $16,649

Data source: Illinois Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Pekin Community High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Ranks 213th of 701 High schoolsRanks 248th of 699 High schools
 5.1%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 % proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
11th Grade Mathematics (Pekin Community High School)30.819.4
 11.4%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Pekin Central School District 303)30.819.4
 11.4%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Illinois)34.826.7
 8.1%
11th Grade English Language Arts (Pekin Community High School)26.922.7
 4.2%
   11th Grade English Language Arts (Pekin Central School District 303)26.922.7
 4.2%
   11th Grade English Language Arts (Illinois)36.731.6
 5.1%
End of Course Science (Pekin Community High School)50.467.4
 17%
   End of Course Science (Pekin Central School District 303)50.467.4
 17%
   End of Course Science (Illinois)36.452.2
 15.8%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Total Students18211796
 1.4%
African American1317
 30.8%
American Indian73
 57.1%
Asian1625
 56.3%
Hispanic5472
 33.3%
Pacific Islander00
White16591600
 3.6%
Two or More Races7279
 9.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients44.9%48.2%
 3.3%

Schools Near Pekin Community High School








Frequently Asked Questions about Pekin Community High School

Pekin Community High School ranks 339th of 697 Illinois high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Students at Pekin Community High School are 89% White, 4% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic, 1% Asian.

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,796 students attended Pekin Community High School.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Board of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.




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