Charleston CUSD 1

The Charleston CUSD 1 district in Illinois serves students from 3 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 1 high school. The district as a whole is ranked 641 out of 811 school districts in Illinois and is rated 1 star out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Among the standout schools in the district, Charleston High School has seen fluctuations in its statewide ranking, ranging from 238 out of 697 Illinois high schools in 2023-2024 to 420 out of 698 in 2024-2025. The school's 4-year graduation rate of 89.0% and dropout rate of 2.4% are positive indicators. Charleston Middle School has also seen ranking changes, and its performance on English Language Arts assessments, with 54.8% of students proficient or better, is a standout compared to the district and state averages. Additionally, while Ashmore Elementary School has a low statewide ranking, its performance on English Language Arts and Mathematics assessments is noteworthy, with 27.6% of students proficient or better in both subjects, which is close to or exceeds the district averages.

The data also reveals some areas of concern for the district, such as the high chronic absenteeism rate of 25.4% across all schools in 2024-2025, and disparities in test scores, with some schools performing well while others struggle to meet proficiency standards. The district's high rates of free/reduced lunch recipients, ranging from 49.62% to 57.91%, suggest that the student population faces significant socioeconomic challenges, which may contribute to the observed performance gaps. Additionally, the wide range in spending per student and student-teacher ratios across the district may indicate uneven resource allocation and distribution, which could impact the quality of education provided.