Summary:
The 62431 zip code is home to a single standout elementary school, Cowden-Herrick Grade School, which serves students from kindergarten through 5th grade as part of the Cowden-Herrick CUSD 3A school district. This school consistently outperforms both district and state averages on standardized tests, with impressive proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science.
Cowden-Herrick Grade School has been ranked among the top elementary schools in Illinois, with a ranking of 265 out of 2,077 schools in 2022-2023, 383 out of 2,067 schools in 2023-2024, and 435 out of 2,056 schools in 2024-2025. The school's academic excellence is further demonstrated by its high proficiency rates, with 76.1% of students proficient or better in ELA and 51.1% in Math, compared to the state averages of 53.1% and 38.5%, respectively. Additionally, 67.9% of 5th-grade students were proficient or better on the Illinois Science Assessment, significantly higher than the state average of 40.6%.
Despite serving a relatively economically disadvantaged population, with 59.01% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, Cowden-Herrick Grade School has been able to achieve these impressive academic results. The school's small class sizes, with a student-teacher ratio of 9.7 to 1, and its relatively high spending of $12,080 per student, may contribute to its ability to support its students' needs and provide a high-quality education. However, the school's chronic absenteeism rate of 25.4% is an area that could be further investigated to understand the underlying causes and develop strategies to improve student attendance.
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