Summary:
Schools in ZIP code 61822 include one school, Vernon L Barkstall Elementary School, serving kindergarten through grade 5, with 426 students. Its results can be compared with Illinois and Champaign CUSD 4, but there are no other schools in this list to compare locally. In 2025–2026, Barkstall’s all-grades ELA proficiency was 54%, just below Illinois at 56%, while math was 46%, above the state’s 40%; grade 5 science was 55%, compared with 48% statewide. Its clearest strength relative to the state is math, with science also above the state and ELA slightly below.
Barkstall is both the highest- and lowest-performing school in this one-school list by default, so no within-area leader or laggard can be identified. Against Illinois, however, it stands out in math and grade 5 science: math was 7 percentage points higher overall, and science was 7 points higher. Math was above the state in each tested grade, by 2 points in grade 3, 4 in grade 4, and 6 in grade 5. ELA results varied by grade: grade 3 was 1 point below the state, while grades 4 and 5 were 1 and 2 points above. These comparisons suggest stronger relative results in math, especially in the upper grades, rather than a uniform advantage across subjects.
Results improved in the latest year reported: ELA rose 7 percentage points from 2024–2025 to 2025–2026, and grade 5 science rose 17 points. The science comparison shifted from 3 points below Illinois to 7 points above; ELA’s shortfall narrowed from 7 points to 3. SchoolDigger’s ranking fell from the 64th percentile in 2023–2024 to the 50th in 2025–2026, while its star rating moved from 3 stars to 2; the ranking pool also changed in size. Chronic absenteeism was 23% in 2025–2026, nearly level with the state and 8 points below the district. As context, 43% of students were free/reduced lunch eligible in 2024–2025, and the student–teacher ratio was 13.2 that year. With only one school listed, these figures cannot establish how Barkstall compares with other local schools.
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