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Watseka Junior High School

Q: Is Watseka Junior High School a good school?

Watseka Junior High School ranks 458 th of 1126 Illinois middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

458^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,126 Illinois Middle Schools

Better than 59% of Illinois middle schools

Summary

Watseka Junior High School serves 202 students in grades 6–8 in Watseka, a small community in northeastern Illinois. In 2025–2026, its all-grades English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency was 67%, the strongest result among the five nearby schools compared.

ELA is the school’s clearest strength: its 67% proficiency was 11 percentage points above the state’s 56% and 8 points above the Iroquois County CUSD 9 result of 59%. It also topped the nearby-school average of 58%, with the next-highest result at John L Nash Middle School at 63%. Math is more mixed: Watseka’s 42% ranked second among the five schools, but was below their 46% average; it was 2 points above the state’s 40%. Eighth-grade science is a relative weak spot locally: Watseka had the lowest nearby result at 52.4%, just above the state’s 51.9% and 5 points below the nearby average.

All-grades ELA and math proficiency have risen since 2023–2024, by 6 and 13 percentage points, respectively, but Watseka’s ELA lead over the state narrowed from 19 points to 11. At the same time, SchoolDigger’s statewide ranking fell from the 77th percentile and 4 stars in 2022–2023 to the 59th percentile and 3 stars in 2025–2026. In 2024–2025, the school reported that 63% of students were free/reduced lunch eligible, the highest share among the nearby schools; its student-teacher ratio was 11.2. SchoolDigger’s ranking for how well the school serves students with disabilities rose from the 22nd percentile in 2022–2023 to the 73rd in 2024–2025, above the school’s overall 68th percentile that year. Its ranking for serving special education students also improved, from the 9th to the 46th percentile, though it remained below the overall ranking.

202

Students ?

11.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,144

Per pupil spending ?

62.9%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

99.5%

Measles protection (all grades) (2025-26)

138 S Belmont Ave
Watseka, IL 60970-1709

(815) 432-2115

District: Iroquois County CUSD 9

Students who attend Watseka Junior High School usually attend:

High:

Watseka Community High School

Feeder schools for Watseka Junior High School:

Elementary:

Wanda Kendall Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

75.2%

Hispanic:

17.3%

Two or more races:

5.0%

See top rated Illinois middle schools

Compare Watseka Junior High School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 68th percentile in 2016 → 59th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Illinois median (59th percentile)

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 9 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school54%

District avg48%

Illinois avg49%

458^th of 1,126

Illinois public middle schools ?

Top 41%▼ down 9 pts since 2016

From top 32% (2016) to top 41% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

420^th of 738Iroquois County CUSD 9 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	55.1	458 of 1126	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	64.4	431 of 1368	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	69.3	354 of 1363	74.0%	★★★★☆
2023	70.8	318 of 1367	76.7%	★★★★☆
2022	51.0	577 of 1369	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.3	395 of 1241	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.9	384 of 1356	71.7%	★★★★☆
2018	61.7	434 of 1293	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2017	66.1	370 of 1293	71.4%	★★★★☆
2016	62.0	412 of 1294	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2015	60.8	403 of 1302	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2014	60.9	517 of 1322	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2013	50.4	695 of 1367	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2012	67.6	465 of 1365	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2011	55.3	704 of 1344	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2010	56.0	688 of 1327	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2009	66.7	491 of 1318	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2008	69.7	421 of 1293	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2007	74.9	293 of 1287	77.2%	★★★★☆
2006	71.5	369 of 1272	71.0%	★★★★☆
2005	76.3	289 of 1209	76.1%	★★★★☆
2004	61.0	545 of 1204	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2003	70.7	370 of 1185	68.8%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	58.2	186 of 694	73.2%	★★★★☆
2024	43.6	283 of 639	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	27.4	523 of 674	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2026	48.9	444 of 867	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	62.9	416 of 1248	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	67.7	346 of 1251	72.3%	★★★★☆
2023	72.7	278 of 1275	78.2%	★★★★☆
2022	54.4	479 of 1286	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	66.7	280 of 1017	72.5%	★★★★☆
2019	64.3	409 of 1276	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.7	365 of 1226	70.2%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	55.4	260 of 669	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.8	143 of 517	72.3%	★★★★☆
2019	41.5	354 of 639	44.6%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2026	53.3	332 of 788	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	68.4	277 of 1229	77.5%	★★★★☆
2024	81.9	119 of 1219	90.2%	★★★★★
2023	76.0	172 of 1234	86.1%	★★★★☆
2022	54.3	453 of 1221	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	62.9	236 of 1019	76.8%	★★★★☆
2019	64.5	320 of 1217	73.7%	★★★★☆
2018	64.6	298 of 1161	74.3%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2026	45.7	436 of 829	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	63.0	410 of 1271	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	67.6	329 of 1264	74.0%	★★★★☆
2023	65.7	345 of 1292	73.3%	★★★★☆
2022	47.9	577 of 1286	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	46.4	478 of 1048	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.4	348 of 1296	73.1%	★★★★☆
2018	56.1	474 of 1223	61.2%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	38.0	442 of 812	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.3	567 of 802	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.4	730 of 805	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	26.4	767 of 781	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	33.0	363 of 548	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	36.5	442 of 792	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	24.6	570 of 602	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2026	38.3	473 of 754	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	50.1	434 of 884	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.8	388 of 875	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.7	348 of 895	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	34.6	584 of 898	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	45.3	409 of 813	49.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	53.6	398 of 905	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.2	473 of 889	46.8%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Disabled (2025)73rd percentile+5 vs school

Hispanic (2025)61st percentile-7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)58th percentile~ school

Female (2026)49th percentile-11 vs school

Male (2026)47th percentile-12 vs school

Special Education (2025)46th percentile-23 vs school

White (2026)37th percentile-22 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts67%+11 vs state

Science52%~ state avg

Mathematics42%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Watseka Junior High 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	ISA Science 8th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 5th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 6th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 7th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 8th Grade	IAR English Language Arts All Grades	IAR Mathematics 5th Grade	IAR Mathematics 6th Grade	IAR Mathematics 7th Grade	IAR Mathematics 8th 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
Watseka Junior High School	Public	6-8	138 S Belmont Ave	Watseka	60970	Iroquois County	Iroquois County CUSD 9	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 432-2115	202	18	11.2	62.9%	152 (75.2%)	4 (2.0%)	35 (17.3%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (5.0%)	55.1	458^th of 1126 public middle schools	59.3%		64.4	431^st of 1368 public middle schools	68.5%	27		52.4		61.4	63.9	74.6	66.9		36.5	42.6	46.0	41.7	99.5%		$17,144	$2,309	$14,835
Donovan Junior High School	Public	6-8	600 North St	Donovan	60931	Iroquois County	Donovan CUSD 3	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 486-7395	54	8	6.7	57.4%	45 (83.3%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (13.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.7%)	68.2	315^th of 1126 public middle schools	72.0%		91.1	102^nd of 1368 public middle schools	92.5%	213		58.8		59.3			53.7		51.9		64.7	59.3	100%		$22,504	$37	$22,467
Iroquois West Middle School	Public	6-8	303 N Evergreen St	Onarga	60955	Iroquois County	Iroquois West CUSD 10	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 268-4355	215	18	12.2	53.5%	141 (65.6%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (30.2%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.3%)	41	644^th of 1126 public middle schools	42.8%		57.8	513^th of 1368 public middle schools	62.5%	131		37.5		70.5	57.9	42.0	54.9		49.2	38.6	29.5	37.9	98.5%		$13,318	$528	$12,790
Cissna Park Junior High School	Public	6-8	511 N 2nd St	Cissna Park	60924	Iroquois County	Cissna Park CUSD 6	No	(n/a)	No	No	(815) 457-2171	66	5	13.5	27.3%	58 (87.9%)	2 (3.0%)	6 (9.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	59.7	401^st of 1126 public middle schools	64.4%		61.8	473^rd of 1368 public middle schools	65.4%	72		76.2		55.0	50.0	71.4	58.5			45.8	52.4	46.2	100%		$15,144	$300	$14,844
John L Nash Middle School	Public	5-8	1134 E 3100 North Rd	Clifton	60927	Iroquois County	Central CUSD 4	No	(n/a)	No	No	(815) 694-2323	278	25	11.3	41.4%	255 (91.7%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.2%)	51.2	510^th of 1126 public middle schools	54.7%		52.5	587^th of 1368 public middle schools	57.1%	77	61.3	56.5	67.7	67.8	50.8	65.2	62.8	37.1	35.6	44.4	43.5	40.3	99.2%		$15,667	$336	$15,330

Frequently Asked Questions about Watseka Junior High School

Is Watseka Junior High School a good school?

Watseka Junior High School ranks 458^th of 1126 Illinois middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Watseka Junior High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 202 students attended Watseka Junior High School.

What district is Watseka Junior High School in?

Iroquois County CUSD 9

What high school do graduates of Watseka Junior High School attend?

Students who attend Watseka Junior High School usually go on to attend Watseka Community High School

What is the racial makeup of Watseka Junior High School?

Students at Watseka Junior High School are 75% White, 17% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 2% African American.

Rate Watseka Junior High School!

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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.