Mattoon CUSD 2

Mattoon CUSD 2 has four schools: two elementary schools, one middle school and one high school, spanning elementary through high school. The most direct school-to-school comparison is between Arland D. Williams Junior Elementary School and Riddle Elementary School. In 2025–2026, Williams led in all-grades IAR proficiency, with 61% in ELA and 42% in math, compared with Riddle’s 51% and 39%. The biggest difference is concentrated in fifth grade: Williams was ahead by 26 points in ELA and 16 points in math.

Williams stands out among the elementary schools, while Riddle’s results vary notably by grade: its third-grade math proficiency was 59%, 10 points above the state, but its fifth-grade math rate was 19%, 17 points below. At the middle school, all-grades ELA and math were 4 and 5 points below state rates; eighth-grade math was a bright spot, 3 points above the state. At Mattoon High School, 11th-grade ACT proficiency was 8–9 points below the state across the three reported subjects. However, graduation was 91% versus 90% statewide, and dropout was 1.9% versus 2.3%.

Results have improved in some areas but not consistently: all-grades ELA rose 7 points at each elementary school and 5 points at Mattoon Middle School from 2024–2025 to 2025–2026, while math changes ranged from a 2-point decline at Williams to a 5-point increase at Riddle. Science gains at these schools did not keep pace with state gains. Attendance also differs by level: chronic absenteeism was 18%–19% at the elementary schools, versus 29% at the middle school and 30% at the high school. SchoolDigger rates Williams at the 51st percentile with 3 stars; the other three schools are at the 35th–37th percentiles with 2 stars. The elementary schools have similar student-teacher ratios (14.3 and 14.5) and, in 2024–2025, free/reduced lunch eligible shares of 69% and 71%—context that does not explain their differing results.