Summary:
The city of Beardstown, Illinois is home to 3 schools, including 2 elementary schools and 1 junior/senior high school, all part of the Beardstown CUSD 15 district. While the district faces challenges, there are also areas of potential strength that could be leveraged for improvement.
Beardstown Junior/Senior High School stands out as the only high school in the district, serving grades 5-12 with a relatively large student population of 837. The school has seen steady improvement in its statewide ranking, moving from 577th out of 697 Illinois high schools in 2023-2024 to 483rd out of 698 in 2024-2025. However, its 4-year graduation rate of 89.0% in 2024-2025, while positive, is accompanied by a concerning dropout rate of 2.4%. In contrast, Gard Elementary School has outperformed the district and state averages in mathematics proficiency for grades 3 and 4, suggesting pockets of success that could be replicated.
The data reveals significant performance gaps between the Beardstown schools and the state averages across various academic measures, including test scores, graduation rates, and chronic absenteeism. This suggests that the district may be facing significant socioeconomic challenges that are impacting student performance. The high rates of free and reduced-price lunch recipients, coupled with the low statewide rankings of the schools, indicate that the district has room for improvement. However, the data also highlights areas where the schools are outperforming the district and state averages, providing opportunities for the district to learn from and replicate effective practices to drive broader improvements.
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