Best Public Schools in Zip Code 61741

The 61741 zip code area is home to two middle schools, Prairie Central Junior High School and Prairie Central Upper Elementary, both part of the Prairie Central CUSD 8 district. These schools have consistently demonstrated strong academic performance, particularly in English Language Arts (ELA), outperforming both the district and state averages.

Prairie Central Junior High School has maintained a 4-star rating and ranked in the top 50% of Illinois middle schools over the past three years. Meanwhile, Prairie Central Upper Elementary has excelled in ELA, with 70.3% of students proficient or better in 2024-2025, compared to the district average of 63.5% and the state average of 53.1%. In science, both schools also outperform the state average. However, in math, Prairie Central Upper Elementary outperforms the district and state, while Prairie Central Junior High lags behind.

Both schools face challenges, with high rates of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch (around 47-49% in 2023-2024) and chronic absenteeism (25.4% in 2024-2025). Despite these socioeconomic factors, the schools allocate significant resources, with per-student spending around $15,000 and low student-teacher ratios of 10.5 and 10.3 for the junior high and upper elementary, respectively. These resource investments suggest a commitment to supporting student learning, though further analysis of how these funds are utilized could provide valuable insights for the district.