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Malden Grade School

Public Grades PK, KG-8
Summary

Malden Grade School is a small public elementary school serving grades PK-8 in the town of Malden, Illinois, with a student population of just 86 students. Over the past several years, the school has seen a concerning decline in its statewide ranking, dropping from 327 out of 2,022 Illinois elementary schools in 2004-2005 to 1,310 out of 2,077 schools in the most recent 2022-2023 school year. Currently rated 2 out of 5 stars by SchoolDigger, Malden Grade School faces several challenges that are impacting student outcomes.

One key issue is the school's high chronic absenteeism rate, which has risen from 21.1% in 2020-2021 to 29.8% in 2021-2022, significantly higher than the state average of 18.2%. Academically, Malden Grade School's proficiency rates on the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) and Illinois Science Assessment (ISA) are projected to be below state averages in 2024-2025, with 31.9% proficiency in ELA and 29.8% in Math, compared to state averages of 53.1% and 38.5%, respectively. Additionally, the school has a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 52.33% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in the 2023-2024 school year.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Dalzell Grade School, which has significantly higher proficiency rates in both ELA (68%) and Math (32%) for the 2024-2025 school year, Malden Grade School's academic performance appears to be lagging behind. However, the school's spending per student ($13,217 in 2023-2024) and relatively low student-teacher ratio of 10.2 in 2023-2024 suggest that the challenges it faces may not be solely related to resource allocation. The school's declining statewide ranking over the years indicates the need for a closer examination of its instructional practices and strategies to address the unique needs of its student population.

79
Students ?
9.8
Student/teacher ratio ?
$12,586
Per pupil spending ?
54.4%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 350 East St
       Malden, IL  61337-0216

(815) 643-2436

District: Malden CCSD 84


Students who attend Malden Grade School usually attend:

High:    Princeton High School
Racial breakdown:

White:
79.7%
Hispanic:
16.5%
African American:
3.8%
 See top rated Illinois public schools

 Compare Malden Grade School to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Rebounding — 24th percentile in 2019 → 37th in 2023
Strengths
Ranking is rebounding — up to 37th (2023) from a 24th-percentile low (2019)
Small classes — about 10 students per teacher
Worth a look
!Test scores below the Illinois average (36% vs 46% meeting standards)
!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing
!English Language Arts scores 21 pts below the Illinois average
Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?
This school36%
District avg36%
Illinois avg46%
686th of 1,368
Illinois public middle schools ?
Top 50%▼ down 12 pts since 2021
From top 39% (2021) to top 50% (2025)
See the entire ranking list of Illinois Middle Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)
Elementary school ranking
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202333.41310 of 207736.9%★★☆☆☆
202251.6906 of 208256.5%★★★☆☆
202155.1756 of 194861.2%★★★☆☆
201925.01583 of 208624.1%★☆☆☆☆
201041.61460 of 213931.7%★★☆☆☆
200946.91340 of 212036.8%★★☆☆☆
200874.5564 of 209273.0%★★★★☆
200774.6508 of 209575.8%★★★★☆
200674.6524 of 208674.9%★★★★☆
200579.4327 of 202283.8%★★★★☆
200463.7876 of 203056.8%★★★☆☆
200376.5482 of 202076.1%★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202271.7298 of 176383.1%★★★★☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
201910.41393 of 14624.7%☆☆☆☆☆
Middle school ranking
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202545.6686 of 136849.9%★★☆☆☆
202457.0497 of 136363.5%★★★☆☆
202340.8760 of 136744.4%★★☆☆☆
202248.3622 of 136954.6%★★★☆☆
202152.8479 of 124161.4%★★★☆☆
201358.2572 of 136758.2%★★★☆☆
201225.11109 of 136518.8%★☆☆☆☆
201146.7818 of 134439.1%★★☆☆☆
200875.4300 of 129376.8%★★★★☆
200766.6471 of 128763.4%★★★☆☆
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)
Elementary school
Low Socio Economic Status (2022)83rd percentile+27 vs school
White (2019)5th percentile-19 vs school
By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?
Science46%~ state avg
English Language Arts32%-21 vs state
Mathematics30%-9 vs state

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Schools Near Malden Grade School

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Frequently Asked Questions about Malden Grade School

In the 2024-25 school year, 79 students attended Malden Grade School.

Students who attend Malden Grade School usually go on to attend:

High : Princeton High School

Students at Malden Grade School are 80% White, 16% Hispanic, 4% African American.


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Latest Illinois data All new data »
2024–25 school spending dataOct 30, 2025
2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesOct 30, 2025
2024–25 ACT, IAR, ISA & PreACT Secure test scoresOct 30, 2025
2023–24 school spending dataOct 30, 2024


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.





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