Summary:
The 60475 zip code is home to a single middle school, Columbia Central School, which serves students in grades 6-8. While the school's performance has fluctuated in recent years, it faces some notable challenges, including mixed academic outcomes and a high percentage of students from low-income backgrounds.
Columbia Central School's academic performance is a mixed bag. In 2024-2025, the school had 60.8% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts, outperforming both the district (Steger School District 194) and state averages. However, its math proficiency rate of 18.1% is significantly lower than the district (22.9%) and state (38.5%) averages. Science proficiency rates are also low, with only 20.4% of 5th graders and 17.9% of 8th graders meeting or exceeding standards, compared to the state averages of 40.6% and 45.4%, respectively.
Socioeconomic factors may play a role in the school's academic challenges, as 80.74% of its students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a relatively low-income student population. Additionally, the school's chronic absenteeism rate of 25.4% is concerning and may impact student learning and achievement. Despite these challenges, the school's per-student spending of $17,854 is higher than the state average, and its student-teacher ratio of 15.1 is relatively low, suggesting that resources are being directed towards the school. However, these resources do not seem to be translating into consistently strong academic outcomes, indicating a need to evaluate the effectiveness of the school's resource allocation and instructional practices.
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