Summary:
The 61345 zip code is home to one exceptional elementary school, Neponset Grade School, which consistently outperforms its peers in the Kewanee CUSD 229 district and across the state of Illinois.
Neponset Grade School stands out for its exceptional academic performance, with students scoring well above district and state averages on the IAR exams in both English Language Arts and Mathematics. The school also boasts impressive science scores, with over 80% of 5th and 8th graders scoring proficient or better on the ISA. Despite serving a predominantly low-income student population, with 81.48% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, Neponset Grade School maintains a relatively low chronic absenteeism rate of 25.4% and benefits from a high student-teacher ratio of 10.4 to 1, as well as significantly higher per-student spending compared to the district and state averages.
The school's consistent improvement in its statewide ranking, from 668th out of 2,077 Illinois elementary schools in 2022-2023 to 427th out of 2,056 in 2024-2025, is a testament to the school's ongoing efforts to provide a high-quality education. Neponset Grade School's exceptional performance, despite the socioeconomic challenges faced by its student population, makes it a model for other schools serving similar communities.
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