Is Southwestern High School a good school?

Southwestern High School ranks 289 th of 697 Illinois high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Southwestern High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 372 students attended Southwestern High School.

What is the racial makeup of Southwestern High School?

Students at Southwestern High School are 95% White, 2% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

What schools feed into Southwestern High School?

Southwestern High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Brighton North Primary School Elementary : Shipman Elementary School Middle : Medora Intermediate School Middle : Southwestern Middle School

Southwestern High School

Summary:

Southwestern High School is a public high school located in Piasa, Illinois, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 372 students. The school is part of the Southwestern CUSD 9 district, which is ranked 381 out of 813 districts in Illinois and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Academically, Southwestern High School's performance, as measured by standardized test scores, is generally below the state averages, with only 19.8% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in SAT Mathematics, compared to the state average of 26.1%. However, the school's performance in science assessments is relatively stronger, with 50% of students proficient or better in the 2023-2024 ISA Science assessment, compared to the state average of 53.2%. The school's four-year graduation rate has fluctuated, ranging from 77.1% in 2021-2022 to 89.3% in 2019-2020, and its dropout rate has also varied, from a low of 2.3% in 2018-2019 to a high of 7.1% in 2021-2022.

Southwestern High School's performance varies across different student subgroups, with the school's ranking for male students generally higher than for female students, and the ranking for special education students significantly lower than the overall school ranking. However, the school's performance for low socioeconomic status students is relatively stronger, with a ranking of 172 out of 639 Illinois high schools in the 2023-2024 school year. Notably, Southwestern High School has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, from 15.0% in 2019-2020 to 32.5% in 2021-2022. When compared to nearby schools, such as Greenfield High School, Civic Memorial High School, and Bunker Hill High School, Southwestern High School's performance is generally comparable, with Bunker Hill High School standing out with a higher ranking and stronger performance in some areas.

Detail:

Public 9-12

8226 Route 111
Piasa, IL 62079-2051

(618) 372-3813

District: Southwestern CUSD 9

SchoolDigger Rank:
289^th of 697 Illinois High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,437

Feeder schools for Southwestern High School:

Elementary:	Brighton North Primary School
	Shipman Elementary School
Middle:	Medora Intermediate School
	Southwestern Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.8

Number of students: 372

Racial breakdown:

White:

94.9%

Hispanic:

1.9%

Two or more races:

1.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 36.3%

See top rated Illinois high schools

Compare Southwestern High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Southwestern High School ranks better than 58.5% of high schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 51.9. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Southwestern 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

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Southwestern High School is $14,437.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Southwestern High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Southwestern High School 289^th of 697 Illinois public high schools. (See Southwestern 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:

White students:

Southwestern CUSD 9:

SchoolDigger ranks Southwestern CUSD 9 381^st of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Southwestern High School

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Rank History for all students at Southwestern High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	50.33	338^th	586	42.3%
2004	40.66	420^th	592	29.1%
2005	47.03	362^nd	590	38.6%
2006	58.69	270^th	596	54.7%
2007	51.14	349^th	612	43.0%
2008	72.61	158^th	624	74.7%
2009	52.59	341^st	632	46.0%
2010	55.56	334^th	643	48.1%
2011	50.08	378^th	655	42.3%
2012	64.95	233^rd	665	65.0%
2013	52.86	357^th	670	46.7%
2014	49.49	374^th	670	44.2%
2015	43.90	312^th	614	49.2%
2016	78.70	65^th	643	89.9%
2017	61.97	217^th	642	66.2%
2018	58.50	248^th	647	61.7%
2019	59.33	250^th	701	64.3%
2021	53.00	278^th	688	59.6%
2022	62.81	229^th	699	67.2%
2023	51.84	311^th	699	55.5%
2024	51.90	289^th	697	58.5%

See the entire list of Illinois High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Southwestern High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	39.82	179^th	374	52.1%
2019	67.33	73^rd	473	84.6%
2021	91.71	20^th	453	95.6%
2024	20.75	377^th	482	21.8%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Southwestern High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	66.29	144^th	585	75.4%
2019	47.71	310^th	639	51.5%
2021	36.16	393^rd	611	35.7%
2022	72.78	108^th	626	82.7%
2023	42.56	368^th	644	42.9%
2024	63.56	172^nd	639	73.1%

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

Rank History for Female students at Southwestern High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	58.26	237^th	620	61.8%
2019	62.35	224^th	665	66.3%
2021	55.79	247^th	639	61.3%
2022	65.79	202^nd	658	69.3%
2023	43.94	371^st	656	43.4%
2024	45.61	325^th	664	51.1%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Southwestern High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	27.00	261^st	429	39.2%

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

Rank History for Male students at Southwestern High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	54.08	266^th	619	57.0%
2019	48.94	323^rd	675	52.1%
2021	47.07	310^th	653	52.5%
2022	57.61	251^st	664	62.2%
2023	56.90	251^st	668	62.4%
2024	55.61	244^th	668	63.5%

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

Rank History for White students at Southwestern High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	43.63	285^th	548	48.0%
2019	42.07	279^th	552	49.5%
2021	38.11	302^nd	553	45.4%
2022	44.46	305^th	560	45.5%
2023	32.43	375^th	557	32.7%
2024	33.32	345^th	554	37.7%

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 Southwestern High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1989	561	13	1	n/a	1	n/a	n/a	576
1990	521	12	n/a	n/a	2	n/a	n/a	535
1991	493	21	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	516
1992	507	12	1	0	1	n/a	n/a	521
1993	508	12	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	520
1994	542	11	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	553
1995	555	5	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	561
1996	555	5	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	561
1997	568	5	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	576
1998	549	6	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	558
1999	591	9	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	603
2000	617	9	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	627
2001	604	10	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	616
2002	579	11	4	0	0	n/a	n/a	594
2003	579	11	4	0	0	n/a	n/a	594
2004	551	9	4	0	0	n/a	n/a	564
2005	564	9	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	577
2006	569	11	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	582
2007	575	7	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	583
2008	558	10	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	571
2009	507	10	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	520
2010	518	12	3	2	0	n/a	n/a	535
2011	481	8	3	1	3	0	11	507
2012	477	6	4	3	3	0	7	500
2013	493	5	3	4	3	0	7	515
2014	478	2	2	5	1	0	10	498
2015	471	4	1	3	1	0	7	487
2016	460	7	1	5	1	0	8	482
2017	464	9	0	6	1	0	8	488
2018	442	9	1	4	0	0	11	467
2019	445	9	0	4	2	0	11	471
2020	422	6	0	4	4	0	7	443
2021	401	5	0	2	4	0	7	419
2022	370	5	1	3	3	0	5	387
2023	353	3	0	7	2	0	7	372

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 Southwestern High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	576	28.0	20.5	n/a
1990	535	27.0	19.8	n/a
1991	516	28.0	18.4	n/a
1992	521	27.9	18.6	n/a
1993	520	27.0	19.3	n/a
1994	553	28.0	19.8	n/a
1995	561	29.5	19.0	n/a
1996	561	29.5	19.0	n/a
1997	576	30.0	19.2	n/a
1998	558	30.0	18.6	n/a
1999	603	32.0	18.8	n/a
2000	627	34.0	18.4	n/a
2001	616	38.0	16.2	n/a
2002	594	39.0	15.2	8.6
2003	594	39.0	15.2	8.6
2004	564	32.0	17.6	12.6
2005	577	37.5	15.4	15.9
2006	582	32.9	17.7	21.6
2007	583	33.0	17.7	23.7
2008	571	31.0	18.4	24.3
2009	520	32.6	16.0	28.5
2010	535	31.6	16.8	29.3
2011	507	29.1	17.4	30.4
2012	500	31.0	16.1	32.4
2013	515	32.4	15.8	35.7
2014	498	28.1	17.6	34.7
2015	487	30.0	16.2	34.5
2016	482	29.0	16.6	32.2
2017	488	29.5	16.4	34.6
2018	467	30.7	15.1	36
2019	471	30.3	15.5	36.3
2020	443	29.4	15.0	34.3
2021	419	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	387	30.3	12.7	37.7
2023	372	31.3	11.8	36.3

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 Southwestern High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	576	28.0	20.5	n/a
1990	535	27.0	19.8	n/a
1991	516	28.0	18.4	n/a
1992	521	27.9	18.6	n/a
1993	520	27.0	19.3	n/a
1994	553	28.0	19.8	n/a
1995	561	29.5	19.0	n/a
1996	561	29.5	19.0	n/a
1997	576	30.0	19.2	n/a
1998	558	30.0	18.6	n/a
1999	603	32.0	18.8	n/a
2000	627	34.0	18.4	n/a
2001	616	38.0	16.2	n/a
2002	594	39.0	15.2	8.6
2003	594	39.0	15.2	8.6
2004	564	32.0	17.6	12.6
2005	577	37.5	15.4	15.9
2006	582	32.9	17.7	21.6
2007	583	33.0	17.7	23.7
2008	571	31.0	18.4	24.3
2009	520	32.6	16.0	28.5
2010	535	31.6	16.8	29.3
2011	507	29.1	17.4	30.4
2012	500	31.0	16.1	32.4
2013	515	32.4	15.8	35.7
2014	498	28.1	17.6	34.7
2015	487	30.0	16.2	34.5
2016	482	29.0	16.6	32.2
2017	488	29.5	16.4	34.6
2018	467	30.7	15.1	36
2019	471	30.3	15.5	36.3
2020	443	29.4	15.0	34.3
2021	419	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	387	30.3	12.7	37.7
2023	372	31.3	11.8	36.3

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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