Best Public Schools in Berkeley, IL

The city of Berkeley, Illinois is home to two schools - MacArthur Middle School and Sunnyside Intermediate School, both of which serve students in the Berkeley School District 87. Unfortunately, the data reveals that neither school is performing well, with both institutions consistently scoring below state averages on key metrics like test scores and chronic absenteeism rates.

Both MacArthur Middle School and Sunnyside Intermediate School have significantly lower proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics compared to the state averages. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, MacArthur Middle School had only 32.2% of students proficient or better in ELA, compared to the state average of 53.1%. The math proficiency rates are even lower, with MacArthur Middle School at 18.4% and Sunnyside Intermediate School at 23.4%, compared to the state average of 38.5%. This poor academic performance has been a persistent issue for both schools over the past few years.

In addition to the low test scores, the schools also struggle with high chronic absenteeism rates, with 25.4% of students chronically absent in 2024-2025 for both schools, significantly higher than the state average. This suggests a potential issue with student engagement and attendance. Despite the relatively high per-student spending at both schools, the data indicates that the Berkeley School District 87 may need to implement more targeted interventions and strategies to address the underlying challenges facing its student population and improve academic outcomes across the district.