Summary:
Elementary schools in zip code 62821 are Lincoln Attendance Center, serving prekindergarten through grade 1 with 176 students, and Jefferson Attendance Center, serving grades 2–3 with 158 students; both are part of Carmi-White County CUSD 5. Test results were not supplied for Lincoln, so the scores do not allow a direct achievement comparison between the schools. The clearest achievement finding is that Jefferson’s third graders were well above Illinois rates in 2025–2026: 67% were proficient in ELA and 72% in math, exceeding state rates by 19 and 23 percentage points, respectively.
Jefferson stands out for the available achievement results, while Lincoln stands out for lower chronic absenteeism. Jefferson’s third-grade proficiency rates matched the district’s reported rates in both subjects; Lincoln’s absenteeism was 7% in 2025–2026, compared with 12% at Jefferson, a 5-point difference. Both schools’ absenteeism rates were below the district’s 21% and the state’s 24%. As context, free/reduced lunch eligible rates in 2024–2025 were 62% at Lincoln and 56% at Jefferson, a 6-point difference; this is an observation, not an explanation of school results.
Jefferson’s strong current math result followed a substantial year-to-year decline: its all-grades math proficiency fell from 91% in 2024–2025 to 72% in 2025–2026, while the state rate rose by 1 point. Jefferson’s lead over the state narrowed by 19 points, though it remained 33 points. ELA moved in the other direction at Jefferson, rising from 64% to 67%; the state also improved, and Jefferson’s lead narrowed by 1 point. For families weighing school context, Lincoln had the lower student-teacher ratio in 2024–2025, 10.3 compared with Jefferson’s 13.1. The schools serve different grade spans, so the available scores describe Jefferson’s tested students rather than achievement across both schools.
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