Summary:
The 62859 zip code area is home to two schools - Hamilton County Junior/Senior High School and East Side Elementary School, both part of the Hamilton County CUSD 10 district. While East Side Elementary is a consistent top performer, the high school has seen a decline in its statewide ranking over the past three years.
East Side Elementary stands out as the stronger of the two schools, consistently ranking in the top 25% of Illinois elementary schools and earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's test scores, particularly in English Language Arts, exceed both district and state averages. Additionally, East Side Elementary has lower chronic absenteeism rates compared to the high school. In contrast, Hamilton County Junior/Senior High School has seen its statewide ranking drop from 286th to 574th out of Illinois high schools, with test scores, especially in math, well below state averages.
While both schools spend over $10,000 per student, which is higher than the state average, this higher spending does not seem to be translating into stronger academic performance, particularly at the high school level. The significant performance gap between the elementary and high school suggests a potential issue with student preparation or curriculum alignment as students transition from elementary to secondary school. Addressing the high chronic absenteeism rate at the high school may also be a key focus area for improvement.
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