Pepper Ridge Elementary School

Summary:

Pepper Ridge Elementary School is a public elementary school in Bloomington, Illinois, serving 315 students from kindergarten to 5th grade. The school is part of the McLean County Unified School District 5, which has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Pepper Ridge Elementary School faces several challenges, including consistently low academic performance, with proficiency rates well below the district and state averages in English Language Arts and Mathematics. The school also has a high chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 20.5% to 21.7% in recent years. Additionally, the school has a relatively high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 48.89% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. While the school has seen an increase in per-student spending, this has not yet translated into improved student outcomes.

Interestingly, Pepper Ridge Elementary School's performance varies significantly among different student subgroups. The school's African American students have performed relatively well, ranking 166 out of 684 Illinois elementary schools in the 2021-2022 school year. In contrast, the school's White students and students with disabilities have performed poorly, ranking in the bottom 20% of Illinois elementary schools. The school's low-socioeconomic status students have also struggled, ranking in the bottom 10% of Illinois elementary schools. Nearby schools, such as Oakdale Elementary, Cedar Ridge Elementary, and Fox Creek Elementary, have generally higher academic performance and similar student demographics, suggesting that Pepper Ridge Elementary School may need to implement targeted interventions and re-evaluate its resource allocation to support student learning.


Detail:

Public K-5

 2602 Danbury Dr
       Bloomington, IL  61705-6506


(309) 557-4423

District: McLean County Unified School District 5

SchoolDigger Rank:
1267th of 2,077 Illinois Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $17,249 Help


Students who attend Pepper Ridge Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Evans Junior High School
High:    Normal Community West High School

Student/teacher ratio:  11.3 Help
Number of students:  315

Racial breakdown:

White:
61.9%
African American:
15.9%
Hispanic:
10.8%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  48.9% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Pepper Ridge Elementary School ranks worse than 61% of elementary schools in Illinois. It also ranks 12th among 16 ranked elementary schools in the McLean County Unified School District 5. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 35.82. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a high school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (61.9%), African American (15.9%), Hispanic (10.8%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 48.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Pepper Ridge Elementary School is 11.3, which is the 2nd best among 16 elementary schools in the McLean County Unified School District 5. (See more...)
Help
Compare Pepper Ridge Elementary School employs 27.7 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Pepper Ridge Elementary School is $17,249, which is the 2nd highest among 16 elementary schools in the McLean County Unified School District 5.
Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Pepper Ridge Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Pepper Ridge Elementary School 1267th of 2077 Illinois public elementary schools. (See Pepper Ridge Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Disabled students:
Male students:
White students:


McLean County Unified School District 5:

SchoolDigger ranks McLean County Unified School District 5 417th of 823 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Pepper Ridge Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Pepper Ridge Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 52.51 1167th 2020 42.2%
2004 55.62 1107th 2030 45.5%
2005 55.20 1117th 2022 44.8%
2006 56.85 1150th 2086 44.9%
2007 48.49 1352nd 2095 35.5%
2008 55.31 1154th 2092 44.8%
2009 50.04 1277th 2120 39.8%
2010 66.94 851st 2139 60.2%
2011 70.49 717th 2147 66.6%
2012 74.95 547th 2166 74.7%
2013 66.90 748th 2167 65.5%
2014 75.74 496th 2093 76.3%
2015 44.19 1027th 2052 50.0%
2016 53.92 874th 2046 57.3%
2017 47.53 1007th 2044 50.7%
2018 50.08 946th 2037 53.6%
2019 50.09 966th 2086 53.7%
2021 58.90 671st 1948 65.6%
2022 45.24 1056th 2082 49.3%
2023 35.82 1267th 2077 39.0%
See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Pepper Ridge Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 43.36 352nd 763 53.9%
2019 42.88 577th 1194 51.7%
2021 32.13 413th 640 35.5%
2022 48.99 423rd 1113 62.0%
2023 23.07 978th 1156 15.4%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Pepper Ridge Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 46.15 894th 1765 49.3%
2019 42.98 1012th 1816 44.3%
2021 35.49 981st 1514 35.2%
2022 25.69 1402nd 1763 20.5%
2023 18.20 1681st 1808 7.0%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Pepper Ridge Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 55.72 798th 1964 59.4%
2019 53.82 877th 2019 56.6%
2021 63.02 539th 1680 67.9%
2022 41.06 1064th 1970 46.0%
2023 33.97 1228th 1957 37.3%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Pepper Ridge Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 29.16 660th 907 27.2%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Pepper Ridge Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 42.84 1036th 1972 47.5%
2019 49.35 940th 2019 53.4%
2021 46.73 805th 1707 52.8%
2022 48.07 915th 1977 53.7%
2023 38.34 1140th 1984 42.5%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Pepper Ridge Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 38.37 392nd 698 43.8%
2022 61.07 166th 684 75.7%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for White students at Pepper Ridge Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 44.00 827th 1463 43.5%
2019 38.20 945th 1462 35.4%
2021 49.78 614th 1308 53.1%
2022 34.67 973rd 1425 31.7%
2023 25.08 1134th 1419 20.1%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Illinois State Board of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Pepper Ridge Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Illinois State Board of Education

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Enrollment information for Pepper Ridge Elementary School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1995 447 29 6 6 1 n/a n/a 0 489
1996 447 29 6 6 1 n/a n/a 0 489
1997 435 35 10 5 1 n/a n/a 0 486
1998 449 53 7 8 1 n/a n/a 0 518
1999 505 70 5 26 4 n/a n/a 0 610
2000 519 64 15 27 2 n/a n/a 0 627
2001 526 74 8 30 2 n/a n/a 0 640
2002 395 82 4 51 1 n/a n/a 0 533
2003 395 82 4 51 1 n/a n/a 0 533
2004 330 80 3 33 2 n/a n/a 0 448
2005 306 72 2 34 3 n/a n/a 20 437
2006 305 59 0 36 2 n/a n/a 49 451
2007 310 85 3 26 2 n/a n/a 46 472
2008 321 91 6 42 3 n/a n/a 46 509
2009 326 86 11 44 2 n/a n/a 47 516
2010 293 70 8 49 1 n/a n/a 43 464
2011 280 67 1 35 0 2 9 0 394
2012 304 73 3 34 0 1 14 0 429
2013 304 78 7 32 1 1 20 0 443
2014 318 66 5 28 0 1 21 0 439
2015 304 66 2 25 1 1 23 0 422
2016 298 66 3 27 1 0 20 0 415
2017 277 63 2 20 1 0 23 0 386
2018 253 51 7 18 1 0 24 0 354
2019 237 46 5 16 1 0 26 0 331
2020 236 59 8 17 0 0 36 0 356
2021 213 43 2 21 1 0 31 0 311
2022 185 51 3 26 0 0 33 0 298
2023 195 50 5 34 0 0 31 0 315

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Pepper Ridge Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1995 489 30.0 16.3 n/a
1996 489 30.0 16.3 n/a
1997 486 31.1 15.6 n/a
1998 518 31.0 16.7 n/a
1999 610 33.0 18.5 n/a
2000 627 42.4 14.8 n/a
2001 640 40.4 15.8 n/a
2002 533 39.0 13.7 28.5
2003 533 39.0 13.7 28.5
2004 448 32.8 13.7 32.6
2005 437 28.5 15.3 34.5
2006 451 30.1 15.0 36.8
2007 472 25.0 18.9 48.6
2008 509 25.0 20.4 55.3
2009 516 38.8 13.3 52
2010 464 36.0 12.8 52.3
2011 394 26.0 15.1 44.4
2012 429 26.0 16.5 45.5
2013 443 35.7 12.3 46
2014 439 29.0 15.1 44
2015 422 28.0 15.0 48.8
2016 415 28.0 14.8 41.7
2017 386 27.3 14.1 44.6
2018 354 28.8 12.2 45.5
2019 331 25.8 12.8 44.1
2020 356 28.9 12.3 45.5
2021 311 n/a n/a n/a
2022 298 28.9 10.3 43
2023 315 27.7 11.3 48.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Pepper Ridge Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1995 489 30.0 16.3 n/a
1996 489 30.0 16.3 n/a
1997 486 31.1 15.6 n/a
1998 518 31.0 16.7 n/a
1999 610 33.0 18.5 n/a
2000 627 42.4 14.8 n/a
2001 640 40.4 15.8 n/a
2002 533 39.0 13.7 28.5
2003 533 39.0 13.7 28.5
2004 448 32.8 13.7 32.6
2005 437 28.5 15.3 34.5
2006 451 30.1 15.0 36.8
2007 472 25.0 18.9 48.6
2008 509 25.0 20.4 55.3
2009 516 38.8 13.3 52
2010 464 36.0 12.8 52.3
2011 394 26.0 15.1 44.4
2012 429 26.0 16.5 45.5
2013 443 35.7 12.3 46
2014 439 29.0 15.1 44
2015 422 28.0 15.0 48.8
2016 415 28.0 14.8 41.7
2017 386 27.3 14.1 44.6
2018 354 28.8 12.2 45.5
2019 331 25.8 12.8 44.1
2020 356 28.9 12.3 45.5
2021 311 n/a n/a n/a
2022 298 28.9 10.3 43
2023 315 27.7 11.3 48.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Immunization Rates

Pepper Ridge Elementary School

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Compare
YearPolioMeaslesMumpsRubellaVaricellaDTPHepatitis B
201598.3%98.3%98.3%98.3%98.1%98.3%
201698.2%98.2%98.2%98.2%97.9%98.2%
201798.1%97.8%97.8%97.8%97.8%98.1%
201898.8%98.8%98.8%98.8%98.8%98.8%
201998.8%98.5%98.5%98.5%98.8%98.8%
202196.7%96.7%96.7%96.7%96.7%96.7%96.4%
202297.3%97.3%97.3%97.3%97.3%97.3%97.3%
202398.5%98.2%98.2%98.2%98.2%98.5%100.0%
202498.4%98.7%98.7%98.7%98.7%98.4%100.0%

Data source: Illinois State Board of Education
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Pepper Ridge Elementary School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $902 (7.0%) $11,976 (93.0%) $12,879
2020 $978 (7.6%) $11,840 (92.4%) $12,818
2021 $1,456 (10.4%) $12,565 (89.6%) $14,022
2022 $1,456 (10.4%) $12,565 (89.6%) $14,022
2023 $3,335 (19.3%) $13,914 (80.7%) $17,249

Data source: Illinois Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Pepper Ridge Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 966th of 2086 Elementary schoolsRanks 1267th of 2077 Elementary schools
 14.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Pepper Ridge Elementary School)32.88.9
 23.9%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (McLean County Unified School District 5)3831.5
 6.5%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Illinois)36.428.8
 7.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Pepper Ridge Elementary School)34.417.8
 16.6%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (McLean County Unified School District 5)48.533.4
 15.1%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Illinois)40.633
 7.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Pepper Ridge Elementary School)38.633.3
 5.3%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (McLean County Unified School District 5)44.738.6
 6.1%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Illinois)36.735.4
 1.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Pepper Ridge Elementary School)33.420
 13.4%
   4th Grade Mathematics (McLean County Unified School District 5)45.931.6
 14.3%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Illinois)33.527.7
 5.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Pepper Ridge Elementary School)33.923.5
 10.4%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (McLean County Unified School District 5)45.238.4
 6.8%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Illinois)37.935.2
 2.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Pepper Ridge Elementary School)259.8
 15.2%
   5th Grade Mathematics (McLean County Unified School District 5)4132.2
 8.8%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Illinois)29.825.6
 4.2%
5th Grade Science (Pepper Ridge Elementary School)58.953.8
 5.1%
   5th Grade Science (McLean County Unified School District 5)65.363.6
 1.7%
   5th Grade Science (Illinois)54.452.4
 2%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students331315
 4.8%
African American4650
 8.7%
American Indian10
 100%
Asian55
Hispanic1634
 112.5%
Pacific Islander00
White237195
 17.7%
Two or More Races2631
 19.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients44.1%48.9%
 4.8%


Schools Near Pepper Ridge Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about Pepper Ridge Elementary School

Pepper Ridge Elementary School ranks 1267th of 2077 Illinois elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Students who attend Pepper Ridge Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Evans Junior High School
High : Normal Community West High School

In the 2022-23 school year, 315 students attended Pepper Ridge Elementary School.

Students at Pepper Ridge Elementary School are 62% White, 16% African American, 11% Hispanic, 10% Two or more races, 2% Asian.


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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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