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Ball Elementary School

Q: Is Ball Elementary School a good school?

Ball Elementary School ranks 200 th of 1737 Illinois elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-4

200^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,737 Illinois Elementary Schools

Better than 88% of Illinois elementary schools

Summary

Ball Elementary School serves 552 students in PK–4 in Chatham, Illinois, near Springfield. In 2025–2026, 76% of students were proficient in English language arts (ELA) and 73% in math. Both results are well above state and district levels, and math is the school’s clearest distinction: Ball had the highest all-grades math result among nearby schools with reported scores.

Ball’s results are above both state and Ball Chatham CUSD 5 averages: ELA was 20 percentage points above the state and 8 above the district; math was 33 points above the state and 21 above the district. Among nearby schools, Ball ranked first of nine in math, ahead of Chatham Elementary School at 67%; in ELA, Ball ranked second of 10, just behind Chatham at 78%. Fourth grade was especially strong, with 82% in ELA and 79% in math, while third-grade math was closer to the district result: 67% compared with 66%. Nearby schools have different grade spans, and not all have reported scores.

Results improved substantially from 2023–2024 to 2025–2026: ELA rose 27 percentage points and math 24, while Ball’s leads over the state widened in both subjects. SchoolDigger ranks Ball 200th of 1,737 Illinois schools, at the 88th percentile with four stars; its district ranks 169th of 738, at the 77th percentile with four stars. SchoolDigger’s measure for “Low Socio Economic Status Students” rose from the 66th statewide percentile in 2022–2023 to the 98th in 2024–2025. Ball’s student-teacher ratio was 18.2 in 2024–2025, higher than nearby schools’ reported ratios, and 23% of students were free/reduced lunch eligible that year. Chronic absenteeism was 6% in 2025–2026, compared with 12% in the district and 24% statewide.

552

Students ?

18.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,215

Per pupil spending ?

22.8%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

97.6%

Measles protection (all grades) (2025-26)

1015 New City Rd
Chatham, IL 62629-8005

(217) 483-2414

District: Ball Chatham CUSD 5

Students who attend Ball Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Glenwood Intermediate School
	Glenwood Middle School
High:	Glenwood High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

79.7%

Two or more races:

6.5%

African American:

6.0%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare Ball Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 68th percentile in 2016 → 88th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Illinois average (74% vs 48% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 12% of Illinois elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 20 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school74%

District avg60%

Illinois avg48%

200^th of 1,737

Illinois public elementary schools ?

Top 12%▲ up 20 pts since 2016

From top 32% (2016) to top 12% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 3Elementary Schools in the Ball Chatham CUSD 5

169^th of 738Ball Chatham CUSD 5 among Illinois districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2026	85.6	200 of 1737	88.5%	★★★★☆
2025	87.5	233 of 2056	88.7%	★★★★☆
2024	81.3	336 of 2067	83.7%	★★★★☆
2023	61.9	711 of 2077	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	66.6	622 of 2082	70.1%	★★★★☆
2021	58.5	682 of 1948	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.9	700 of 2086	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.5	754 of 2037	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2017	62.6	690 of 2044	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2016	65.1	645 of 2046	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	74.4	442 of 2052	78.5%	★★★★☆
2014	77.2	468 of 2093	77.6%	★★★★☆
2013	80.8	380 of 2167	82.5%	★★★★☆
2012	69.1	766 of 2166	64.6%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	81.1	114 of 1049	89.1%	★★★★☆
2023	80.8	95 of 907	89.5%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2026	74.7	258 of 1286	79.9%	★★★★☆
2025	79.6	353 of 1942	81.8%	★★★★☆
2024	72.8	460 of 1942	76.3%	★★★★☆
2023	66.0	579 of 1957	70.4%	★★★★☆
2022	71.5	491 of 1970	75.1%	★★★★☆
2021	65.5	491 of 1680	70.8%	★★★★☆
2019	58.0	784 of 2019	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	67.6	580 of 1964	70.5%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	93.9	36 of 1800	98.0%	★★★★★
2024	79.1	197 of 1793	89.0%	★★★★☆
2023	58.4	606 of 1808	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.7	622 of 1763	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	27.9	1157 of 1514	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	72.7	296 of 1816	83.7%	★★★★☆
2018	52.5	743 of 1765	57.9%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2026	83.8	154 of 1311	88.3%	★★★★☆
2025	91.1	126 of 1947	93.5%	★★★★★
2024	85.9	236 of 1959	88.0%	★★★★☆
2023	55.0	790 of 1984	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.2	699 of 1977	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	44.5	849 of 1707	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	68.2	567 of 2019	71.9%	★★★★☆
2018	52.6	849 of 1972	56.9%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	83.2	147 of 1292	88.6%	★★★★☆
2024	67.3	280 of 1195	76.6%	★★★★☆
2023	67.7	261 of 1156	77.4%	★★★★☆
2022	59.2	292 of 1113	73.8%	★★★★☆
2021	44.3	313 of 640	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	37.0	690 of 1194	42.2%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2026	73.1	268 of 1149	76.7%	★★★★☆
2025	77.0	271 of 1389	80.5%	★★★★☆
2024	69.0	376 of 1392	73.0%	★★★★☆
2023	41.0	858 of 1419	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.5	707 of 1425	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	43.9	704 of 1308	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	51.4	703 of 1462	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	52.9	671 of 1463	54.1%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)98th percentile+9 vs school

Disabled (2025)89th percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)89th percentile~ school

Male (2026)88th percentile~ school

Female (2026)80th percentile-9 vs school

White (2026)77th percentile-12 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts76%+20 vs state

Mathematics72%+33 vs state

★

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Schools Near Ball Elementary School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Vaccination Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				ISA Science (2026)	IAR English Language Arts (2026)				IAR Mathematics (2026)				Vaccination (2025-26)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2026)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISA Science 5th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 3rd Grade	IAR English Language Arts 4th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 5th Grade	IAR English Language Arts All Grades	IAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	IAR Mathematics 4th Grade	IAR Mathematics 5th Grade	IAR Mathematics All Grades	Vaccination: Measles protection (all grades)	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Ball Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	1015 New City Rd	Chatham	62629	Sangamon County	Ball Chatham CUSD 5	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(217) 483-2414	552	30	18.2	22.8%	440 (79.7%)	33 (6.0%)	33 (6.0%)	9 (1.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (6.5%)	85.6	200^th of 1737 public elementary schools	88.5%		87.5	233^rd of 2056 public elementary schools	88.7%	33		70.4	82.3		76.3	66.7	78.5		72.5	97.6%		$16,215	$715	$15,499
Glenwood Elementary School	Public	K-4	1401 E Plummer Blvd	Chatham	62629	Sangamon County	Ball Chatham CUSD 5	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(217) 483-6704	573	36	15.8	23.2%	395 (68.9%)	57 (9.9%)	35 (6.1%)	44 (7.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (7.0%)	59.7	674^th of 1737 public elementary schools	61.2%		77.6	445^th of 2056 public elementary schools	78.4%	229		48.8	71.3		60.0	54.5	56.6		55.5	97.9%		$13,537	$610	$12,927
Chatham Elementary School	Public	K-4	525 S College St	Chatham	62629	Sangamon County	Ball Chatham CUSD 5	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(217) 483-2411	500	30	16.5	31.4%	384 (76.8%)	28 (5.6%)	26 (5.2%)	25 (5.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (7.2%)	82.8	245^th of 1737 public elementary schools	85.9%		87.7	227^th of 2056 public elementary schools	89.0%	18		81.3	74.1		77.6	78.5	56.9		67.3	98%		$14,646	$677	$13,970
Hazel Dell Elementary School	Public	K-5	850 W Lake Shore Dr	Springfield	62712	Sangamon County	Springfield School District 186	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(217) 525-3223	140	12	11.4	75.7%	43 (30.7%)	76 (54.3%)	5 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (11.4%)								(n/a)			57.1	57.9	55.6				25.9	93.3%		$21,401	$1,388	$20,013
Laketown Elementary School	Public	K-5	1825 Lee St	Springfield	62703	Sangamon County	Springfield School District 186	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(217) 585-5819	135	16	8.4	67.4%	42 (31.1%)	67 (49.6%)	6 (4.4%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (14.1%)	40	1008^th of 1737 public elementary schools	42.0%		26.4	1532^nd of 2056 public elementary schools	25.5%	524		50.0	47.8		46.8	50.0			32.3	100%		$22,033	$1,378	$20,655
Southern View Elementary School	Public	K-5	3338 S 5th St	Springfield	62703	Sangamon County	Springfield School District 186	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(217) 585-5837	171	14	12.6	76.0%	48 (28.1%)	72 (42.1%)	29 (17.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (12.9%)								(n/a)					26.9					98.4%		$16,907	$1,395	$15,512
Pawnee Grade School	Public	PK, KG-5	810 4th St	Pawnee	62558	Sangamon County	Pawnee CUSD 11	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(217) 625-2471	325	31	10.5	25.8%	310 (95.4%)	4 (1.2%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.5%)	38.9	1029^th of 1737 public elementary schools	40.8%		63.8	727^th of 2056 public elementary schools	64.6%	302	46.7	39.5	62.9	50.0	50.0	48.8	37.1		35.2	97.2%		$18,047	$927	$17,121
Harvard Park Elementary School	Public	K-5	2501 S 11th St	Springfield	62703	Sangamon County	Springfield School District 186	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(217) 525-3214	370	29	12.6	87.6%	88 (23.8%)	228 (61.6%)	8 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (11.9%)	4	1717^th of 1737 public elementary schools	1.2%		9	1973^rd of 2056 public elementary schools	4.0%	256		21.9	23.2	18.6	21.4				6.8	97.7%		$17,193	$1,627	$15,566
Rochester Elementary Ec-1 School	Public	PK, KG-1	707 W Main St	Rochester	62563	Sangamon County	Rochester CUSD 3A	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(217) 498-9778	402	25	16.0	17.9%	357 (88.8%)	7 (1.7%)	14 (3.5%)	4 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.7%)								(n/a)										96.4%		$15,103	$308	$14,794
Black Hawk Elementary School	Public	K-5	2500 S College St	Springfield	62704	Sangamon County	Springfield School District 186	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(217) 525-3195	234	19	12.6	78.2%	48 (20.5%)	118 (50.4%)	20 (8.5%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	46 (19.7%)								(n/a)			39.5		28.8				11.9	97.8%		$18,867	$1,484	$17,382

Frequently Asked Questions about Ball Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Ball Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Ball Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Glenwood Intermediate School
Middle : Glenwood Middle School
High : Glenwood High School

Is Ball Elementary School a good school?

Ball Elementary School ranks 200^th of 1737 Illinois elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Ball Elementary School in?

Ball Chatham CUSD 5

How many students attend Ball Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 552 students attended Ball Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Ball Elementary School?

Students at Ball Elementary School are 80% White, 7% Two or more races, 6% African American, 6% Hispanic, 2% Asian.

Rate Ball Elementary School!

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Schools in Chatham, IL

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Latest Illinois data All new data »

2025–26 school spending dataOct 30, 2026

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesOct 30, 2026

2025–26 ACT, IAR, ISA & PreACT Secure test scoresOct 30, 2026

2013–14 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Board of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.