Summary:
The city of Dakota, Illinois is home to two schools: Dakota Elementary School and Dakota Junior Senior High School, both part of the Dakota CUSD 201 district. While Dakota Elementary maintains a consistent 3-star rating, Dakota Junior Senior High stands out as a high-performing institution, ranking 147 out of 698 Illinois high schools with a 4-star rating.
Dakota Junior Senior High School boasts a strong 4-year graduation rate of 89.0% and a low dropout rate of 2.4%. The school outperforms the district and state averages in several test score categories, including ACT English Language Arts, ACT Mathematics, and PreACT Secure English Language Arts for 9th and 10th grades. In contrast, Dakota Elementary School has seen a decline in its statewide ranking from 696 to 890 out of 2,056 Illinois elementary schools, despite maintaining a consistent 3-star rating and performing above the district and state averages in some grade-level test score categories.
Both schools face the challenge of high chronic absenteeism rates, with 25.4% of students chronically absent in the 2024-2025 school year. Additionally, there are socioeconomic differences between the two schools, as Dakota Elementary School has a higher percentage of free/reduced lunch recipients at 41.13% compared to 33.24% at the high school. Addressing these issues could be crucial for the district to improve overall school performance and ensure equitable opportunities for all students.
Thank you for your feedback!