Columbia CUSD 4

The Columbia CUSD 4 district in Illinois is home to four high-performing schools, including two elementary schools (Parkview Elementary and Eagleview Elementary), one middle school (Columbia Middle School), and one high school (Columbia High School). The district is known for its consistently strong academic performance, with several schools ranking among the top in the state.

Columbia Middle School stands out as a top performer, consistently ranking in the top 20% of Illinois middle schools over the past three years. The school boasts exceptional test scores, with 81.2% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 64.1% in Math for the 2024-2025 school year. Additionally, the school has a low chronic absenteeism rate of 25.4%, compared to the state average. Parkview Elementary School is another standout, ranking in the top 10% of Illinois elementary schools and maintaining consistently high test scores, with 82.1% of students proficient or better in ELA and 84.2% in Math for the 2024-2025 school year.

Overall, the schools in the Columbia CUSD 4 district significantly outperform the state averages in both ELA and Math proficiency across all grade levels. The district also boasts a strong 89.0% four-year graduation rate and a low 2.4% dropout rate at the high school level. However, the district's relatively low percentages of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 13.07% to 17.57%, suggest a more affluent student population compared to the state average, which raises questions about equity and access to high-quality education for students from lower-income backgrounds within the district or surrounding areas.