Summary:
The 62221 zip code in Illinois is home to a single middle school, Whiteside Middle School, which serves grades 5-8 and is part of the Whiteside School District 115. While the school has a relatively small enrollment of 508 students, its academic performance has been declining in recent years, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Math, and Science falling below state averages.
Whiteside Middle School's statewide ranking has dropped from 783 out of 1,367 Illinois middle schools in 2022-2023 to 899 out of 1,368 in 2024-2025, and it maintains a consistent 2-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school faces challenges such as a high chronic absenteeism rate of 25.4% and a high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (61.22% in 2023-2024), which may be contributing factors to its academic struggles. Additionally, the school's spending per student of $11,297 and student-teacher ratio of 13.3 to 1 may be limiting the resources and support available to students.
Overall, while Whiteside Middle School is the only middle school in the 62221 zip code, its performance has been declining and is significantly below state averages in core academic areas. Parents and community members may want to closely monitor the school's progress and advocate for targeted interventions and additional resources to help improve student outcomes and ensure that all students in the area have access to a high-quality education.
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