Summary:
The city of Clifton, Illinois is home to two schools: Central High School and John L Nash Middle School, both part of the Central CUSD 4 district. While Central High School maintains a 3-star rating, its statewide ranking has declined in recent years, dropping from 177th out of 699 Illinois high schools in 2022-2023 to 319th out of 698 in 2024-2025. The school's 89.0% four-year graduation rate is relatively strong, but its 2.4% dropout rate and 25.4% chronic absenteeism rate are areas of concern.
John L Nash Middle School has also seen a decline in its statewide ranking, dropping from 551st out of 1,367 Illinois middle schools in 2022-2023 to 587th out of 1,368 in 2024-2025. The school's performance on standardized tests is mixed, with 50.6% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 35.7% proficient or better in Mathematics across all grades in 2024-2025. Like Central High School, John L Nash Middle School also has a high chronic absenteeism rate of 25.4%.
Both schools have relatively high percentages of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at 38.69% and 42.03% respectively, suggesting a higher proportion of students from lower-income families. Despite the above-average per-student spending at both schools, the academic performance data indicates that these efforts may not be fully translating into improved student outcomes, as test scores at both schools are generally below the state averages in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science.
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