Summary:
Gillespie CUSD 7 is a school district in Illinois that contains a single high school, Gillespie High School. The school serves grades 9-12 and has faced fluctuating performance in recent years, with its statewide ranking ranging from 286 out of 699 Illinois high schools in 2022-2023 to 480 out of 697 in 2023-2024, before improving slightly to 346 out of 698 in 2024-2025. While the school has a relatively high graduation rate of 89.0% and a low dropout rate of 2.4% in 2024-2025, it struggles with a high chronic absenteeism rate of 25.4%.
Academically, Gillespie High School underperforms compared to state averages. In 2024-2025, its proficiency rates in ACT/English Language Arts (35.6%), ACT/Mathematics (35.6%), and ACT/Science (38.9%) were all below the state averages of 51.7%, 39.3%, and 48.7%, respectively. The school's performance on the PreACT Secure assessments and the SAT was also significantly lower than the state averages. However, the school's performance on the Illinois Science Assessment (ISA) was slightly better, with 47.9% proficient compared to the state average of 53.2%.
Socioeconomically, Gillespie High School serves a population with significant challenges, as evidenced by the high percentage of students (62.42%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch. Despite the school's relatively high per-student spending of $13,729 for the 2023-2024 school year, which is above the state average, its academic performance remains below state averages, suggesting the need for more effective resource allocation and targeted interventions to improve student outcomes.
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