Summary:
The city of Pleasant Hill, Illinois is home to two schools - Pleasant Hill Elementary School and Pleasant Hill High School, both part of the Pleasant Hill CUSD 3 district. While the high school has seen significant improvements in its statewide ranking and maintains a strong graduation rate, the elementary school has struggled with low test scores across all grade levels.
Pleasant Hill High School has moved from the bottom half of Illinois high schools to the top half in recent years, ranking 457 out of 698 in 2024-2025, up from 540 out of 699 in 2022-2023. Its 4-year graduation rate of 89.0% for the 2024-2025 school year is also above the state average. In contrast, Pleasant Hill Elementary School has proficiency rates well below the state averages in both English Language Arts and Mathematics, an area of concern.
Both schools face challenges, including high chronic absenteeism rates of 25.4% compared to state averages, and serve a high proportion of economically disadvantaged students, with free/reduced lunch rates of 65.15% at the elementary school and 55.77% at the high school. Despite these challenges, the schools are investing significant resources, with spending per student well above state averages and low student-teacher ratios. Addressing the root causes of the performance gaps and implementing effective strategies to support student learning will be crucial for the Pleasant Hill school district.
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