Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 61761

The 61761 zip code in Illinois is home to three middle schools: Kingsley Junior High School, Chiddix Junior High School, and Parkside Junior High School. These schools serve students in grades 6-8 and are part of the McLean County Unified School District 5.

Among the three schools, Chiddix Junior High School stands out as the highest-performing, with the strongest proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science across all grade levels. Chiddix also has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate and the lowest percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, suggesting a more advantaged student population. In contrast, Parkside Junior High School has the highest per-student spending but lower academic outcomes compared to the other two schools.

While all three middle schools in the 61761 zip code have lower proficiency rates than the district and state averages, the data suggests that there is room for improvement, particularly in Mathematics. The variation in student demographics and academic performance across the schools highlights the need to further investigate the factors contributing to these differences and to address the challenges faced by the lower-performing schools in the area.