Gallatin Junior High School, Junction IL

Original Research by School Decision on Gallatin Junior High School

Gallatin Junior High School serves grades five through eight as part of the Gallatin County Educational Complex, a single rural PK-12 campus situated on Illinois Highway 13 between Equality and Junction in southeastern Illinois. The school serves a small enrollment spread across a region with a combined population of roughly 50–60 residents, making it one of the smallest school communities in the state.

The academic picture shows uneven proficiency across subjects and grades. In English language arts, performance is notably stronger in the middle grades: seventh grade students show proficiency above the midpoint, and eighth graders reach proficiency near the midpoint. Fifth and sixth grades are weaker in ELA. Mathematics is a soft spot across all tested grades. Fifth graders show very low proficiency, sixth graders modestly low, seventh graders show a mild improvement but still remain well below the state midpoint, and eighth graders dip again. Science proficiency in both fifth and eighth grade sits well below the midpoint. The school's test participation rates are consistently strong, with near-universal or full participation across all tested grades and subjects. A parent may want to look into the district's math intervention strategies and support systems with the school directly, given how consistently low math proficiency runs through the school.

The student body is overwhelmingly white, with very few students from other racial and ethnic backgrounds. Specific data on students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, on students with individualized education plans, and on English learners was not available. The school's small enrollment size means class sizes and peer groups are correspondingly tight; a student enters and remains in a close cohort across the grades.

Junction itself is a village in severe long-term population decline, with little commercial or civic infrastructure beyond the school campus and county courthouse. The region has no meaningful job base and residents face extended commutes for work. Housing values across Gallatin County are very low, and no new residential development is occurring. For families already living in the area, Gallatin Junior High is the only junior high option. For families considering moving in, the depressed local economy and tiny population suggest they would need strong ties to the community or acceptance of geographic isolation.

State testing data for grades three and four were not available, as those grades are not assessed at this school; the school serves fifth through eighth grade only. Graduation rate, attendance, and discipline data were not provided. No information on course offerings, advanced coursework, or enrichment programs was available.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 511%

School 11% · District 11%

▼ 18 pts below state median

Grade 616%

School 16% · District 16%

▼ 8 pts below state median

Grade 727%

School 27% · District 27%

▼ 2 pts below state median

Grade 818%

School 18% · District 18%

▼ 4 pts below state median

English language arts

Grade 546%

School 46% · District 46%

▼ 7 pts below state median

Grade 653%

School 53% · District 53%

▲ 3 pts above state median

Grade 773%

School 73% · District 73%

▲ 22 pts above state median

Grade 855%

School 55% · District 55%

▲ 1 pts above state median

Science

Grade 523%

School 23% · District 23%

▼ 14 pts below state median

Grade 823%

School 23% · District 23%

▼ 17 pts below state median

This schoolGallatin CUSD 7, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.