The top reported proficiency rate is 46% in English language arts. The lowest is 20% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Mary Miller Junior High School
Mary Miller Junior High School serves grades six through eight in Georgetown, a small city in Vermilion County that has experienced slow population decline over decades. The school enrolls students from the Georgetown-Ridge Farm Community Unit District 4. Its three-grade cohorts are balanced, with roughly similar numbers in each grade, for a total enrollment of about two hundred students.
The school's state test results reveal proficiency patterns that vary meaningfully by grade level and subject. In English language arts, the trend across the three grades is upward: sixth-grade proficiency is below what eighth grade achieves, where roughly three in five students meet state standards. Seventh grade falls between them. In mathematics, the picture is flatter and lower. Proficiency rates in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade all sit in the range of roughly one in five to one in four students. Science data is available only for eighth grade, where about two in five students are proficient. The school's overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades places it above the median among the county's public secondary schools, though the absolute numbers show room for growth, particularly in mathematics.
Participation rates in state testing are near universal, suggesting that the data reflects what students in the building actually demonstrate rather than being limited by testing logistics. Notably, Illinois adjusted its proficiency standards in the 2024-25 school year, so comparisons to prior years are not available; data presented here is from the most recent assessment cycle.
The student body is predominantly white, with small counts of students identifying as Black, Hispanic, or multiracial. Specific counts of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, students with individualized education plans, and English learners were not reported in available data; a parent may want to ask the school directly about the composition of its special-education and English-learner populations and the services available for students in those groups.
The school is located at 414 West West Street in Georgetown, within the compact downtown grid of a traditional small town centered on a square. The community offers modest housing values and costs relative to state benchmarks, with homeownership predominant. However, the district approved a property-tax increase in November 2024 that will raise household costs for families with school-age children; that cost change carries forward into future years and is worth considering if you are weighing a move to the area. Employment in Georgetown itself is limited to small retail and food service; larger employers are in nearby Danville and Westville, roughly a short drive away. The region's economy is steady but not growing, and the town itself continues to decline in population.
The school does not report career pathways, dual-credit programs, or specialized course offerings in available data, which is typical for a traditional junior high focused on grades six through eight. A parent should ask the school about its curricular breadth, support for struggling students in mathematics, and the transition pathway to the district's high school.
Mary Miller fits families seeking an enrollment in a small, stable, traditional junior high within a rural small-town setting where neighbors know one another and pace is unhurried. It is not a choice for families prioritizing advanced coursework, specialized programs, or urban amenities. The meaningful gap in mathematics proficiency, particularly in the early grades of middle school, is worth discussing with school leadership if academic support in that subject is a priority for your child.
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