County of Union School District No43

County of Union School District No43 has one school, Jonesboro Elementary School, serving pre-K through grade 8 with 338 students. In 2025–2026, Jonesboro’s all-grades results were well above Illinois in both subjects: 79% in English language arts (ELA) versus 56% statewide, and 59% in math versus 40%. Its advantage over the state was larger in ELA, making strong ELA results the clearest overall finding.

Within the school, grade 8 ELA and grade 4 math stand out most: 97% of students met proficiency in grade 8 ELA, 34 points above the state, while 73% did so in grade 4 math, 31 points above. The relative soft spots are grade 6 and grade 8 math, where results were 42% and 41%, respectively, just 5 and 7 points above state rates. Grade 8 science was nearly even with the state, at 52% compared with 52%, and was slightly lower before rounding. Because the list includes only one school, there is no school-to-school comparison or peer ranking.

Results shifted differently across subjects and grades. From 2024–2025 to 2025–2026, ELA changed from 79.3% to 78.9% as the state rate rose, narrowing Jonesboro’s lead by 4 points; the math lead remained close to 20 points. Grade 5 science improved from 44% to 56%, widening its state advantage from 4 to 8 points, while grade 8 science moved from 9 points above the state to slightly below it. SchoolDigger rates Jonesboro four stars; its ranking declined from the 87th percentile in 2023–2024 to the 77th in 2025–2026. Context measures include a 12:1 student-teacher ratio and 46% free/reduced lunch eligible in 2024–2025. Chronic absenteeism was 6% in 2025–2026, compared with 24% statewide.