Summary:
The 61739 zip code in Illinois is home to two schools: Prairie Central High School and Prairie Central Elementary School, both part of the Prairie Central CUSD 8 district. While the schools have seen a decline in their statewide rankings in recent years, they continue to serve the local community with a mix of academic performance and resource allocation.
Prairie Central High School has experienced a drop in its statewide ranking, falling from 232nd out of 699 Illinois high schools in 2022-2023 to 297th out of 698 in 2024-2025. This suggests the school may be underperforming compared to its peers. Similarly, Prairie Central Elementary School has also seen a decline in its statewide ranking, dropping from 1040th out of 2077 Illinois elementary schools in 2022-2023 to 891st out of 2056 in 2024-2025.
Academically, the schools have shown a mixed performance, with Prairie Central High School scoring below the state averages in ACT/ELA, ACT/Math, and ACT/Science, while Prairie Central Elementary School had a more varied performance, with some grades performing above the state average and others below in IAR/ELA and IAR/Math. Additionally, both schools have relatively high percentages of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, suggesting they may be serving a population with lower socioeconomic status. The difference in per-student spending between the high school and elementary school ($16,334 vs. $11,918) may indicate that resources are not being allocated evenly across the district.
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