Summary:
The 61542 zip code is home to a single elementary school, Central Elementary School, which serves students in grades K-5. The school's performance has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Illinois elementary schools, with significantly below-average proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics.
Central Elementary School faces several challenges, including a high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (55.56%) and a chronic absenteeism rate of 25.4%, which is significantly higher than the state average. Despite spending more per student ($16,322) and having a relatively low student-teacher ratio (12.5 to 1), the school's academic performance has declined in recent years, with proficiency rates dropping from the 2023-2024 school year to the 2024-2025 school year.
The data suggests that Lewistown CUSD 97, the district that oversees Central Elementary School, may need to implement a multi-faceted approach to address the school's challenges and improve student outcomes. This could include addressing factors such as instructional quality, school leadership, and the root causes of chronic absenteeism, in addition to ensuring that resources are being effectively utilized.
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