Ford Heights School District 169

The Ford Heights School District 169 in Illinois operates two schools: Medgar Evers Primary Acadmc Center, an elementary school, and Cottage Grove Upper Grade Center, a middle school. Both schools are struggling, with low test scores, high chronic absenteeism rates, and poor rankings compared to other schools in the state.

The data shows that both Medgar Evers Primary Acadmc Center and Cottage Grove Upper Grade Center have significantly lower proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics compared to the state averages. For example, in 2024-2025, only 16.5% of students at Medgar Evers Primary Acadmc Center were proficient or better in ELA, compared to the state average of 53.1%. The math proficiency rates are even lower, with only 6.3% of students at Medgar Evers Primary Acadmc Center and 6% at Cottage Grove Upper Grade Center being proficient or better, compared to the state average of 38.5%. Both schools also have high chronic absenteeism rates, with 25.4% of students at each school being chronically absent in the 2024-2025 school year.

Despite the relatively high spending per student, with Medgar Evers Primary Acadmc Center spending $29,007 and Cottage Grove Upper Grade Center spending $27,916 per student in the 2023-2024 school year, the schools are still struggling to achieve better outcomes. This suggests that the district may be facing other challenges, such as resource allocation, teacher quality, or community engagement, that are not being adequately addressed. The data also indicates that the district is serving a predominantly low-income population, with extremely high rates of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, which raises concerns about equity and the ability of the schools to provide the necessary resources and support to help these students succeed.