Summary:
The Sterling CUSD 5 district in Illinois is home to 4 elementary schools: Jefferson Elementary School, Franklin Elementary School, Washington Elementary School, and Lincoln Elementary School. These schools serve students from pre-kindergarten through 5th grade and face a range of challenges, including high chronic absenteeism rates and economic disadvantages among the student populations.
Among the 4 schools, Franklin Elementary School stands out as the highest-performing, with the best statewide ranking, a 4-star rating, the lowest chronic absenteeism rate, and the lowest free/reduced lunch rate. Washington Elementary School also performs well, consistently ranking in the top half of Illinois elementary schools and having the highest proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics among the 4 schools.
However, the overall academic performance of the schools is concerning, with all 4 schools having proficiency rates in ELA and Math that are significantly below the state averages. The high rates of free/reduced lunch recipients across the schools suggest that the student populations face significant economic challenges, which may contribute to the lower academic performance and higher chronic absenteeism rates observed. Additionally, the fact that all 4 schools are part of the same district, which is ranked 483 out of 811 districts in Illinois, indicates that there may be broader systemic issues at the district level that are impacting the performance of these schools.
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