Original Research by School Decision on Royals Academy Carthage
ROYALS Academy Carthage is an alternative school serving grades six through twelve in Carthage, a small county-seat city in western Illinois. The school is operated under the Hancock/Fulton/Schuyler/McDonough Regional Office of Education (ROE26), which recently expanded its alternative learning offerings across the four-county region through its LEAP program, providing onsite Student Advocates for at-risk learners in grades four through twelve.
Carthage itself is a quiet, car-dependent place of roughly a few thousand residents. The downtown centers on the historic Courthouse Square, where a national historic landmark courthouse anchors shops, restaurants, and the public library. Beyond the square, the city spreads into residential neighborhoods and separated school and healthcare campuses. The broader area is agricultural—corn, soybeans, cattle, and hog operations dominate the landscape—and Carthage functions as a service and government hub for the county. The economy rests on healthcare (Memorial Hospital and affiliated clinics are major employers), agriculture-related businesses including veterinary and swine-management services, the public sector, and Carl Sandburg College's local branch campus. Population growth is slow to flat, employment has declined modestly in recent years, and new residential construction is thin, though housing remains affordable relative to state and national benchmarks.
State assessment data for ROYALS Academy Carthage was not available, which is common for alternative schools that may serve smaller cohorts, operate on non-standard schedules, or focus on populations less frequently captured in state-wide testing systems. Graduation rate data was also not available. Without these measures, it is not possible to characterize the school's academic trajectory or completion rates from publicly reported data. A parent may want to reach out directly to the school to discuss its approach to academics, support structures, and student outcomes.
Enrollment and demographic data show the school as currently inactive or underenrolled; specific enrollment figures were reported as zero across all grades. This may indicate the school is in a transition period, serves students through a non-traditional enrollment model, or has suspended active operations. The school's status should be confirmed with the ROE or the school directly before any enrollment consideration.
ROYALS Academy Carthage is situated at 86 South Madison Street in Carthage, a location that places it on the edge of the downtown corridor away from the main civic square. As an alternative school, it likely serves students who have not thrived in traditional high school settings, such as those who are at risk of dropout, returning to school, or pursuing non-standard pathways toward completion or credential attainment. The alternative designation suggests a focus on personalized or flexible learning models rather than a conventional classroom structure.
Relative to the eight districts across Hancock County, no comparative performance metrics could be established because the school's academic proficiency, graduation rate, and chronic absenteeism data were not reported. This absence of data is typical for alternative schools, which often operate outside standard accountability frameworks or serve populations for which state-wide testing does not apply.
Before considering ROYALS Academy Carthage, families should contact the school or the ROE26 office directly to understand current enrollment, the specific student populations it serves, its curriculum and support model, and any recent changes in its operational status. The broader expansion of ROE26's LEAP program across the four-county region indicates that alternative and at-risk education is a regional priority, and families seeking alternatives to traditional secondary schooling have resources available through the office.
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