Original Research by School Decision on Region Iii 9-12+ Clip Program
Region III 9-12+ CLIP Program is a special education school serving high school grades in Wood River, Illinois, located in Madison County just northeast of St. Louis. The school operates within Region III Special Education Cooperative, a regional administrative structure that coordinates services across multiple school districts in the area.
The CLIP designation signals that this program is purpose-built around career and life-skills pathways suited to students with disabilities in the secondary years. While specific enrollment numbers, demographic breakdowns, and academic performance data were not available in the public record, the absence of these metrics is typical for special-purpose schools and alternative programs that operate outside standard state testing systems. A parent or student considering this program should contact the school directly to understand enrollment capacity, the range of disabilities served, the specific pathways and certifications offered, and how transition planning from school to work or post-secondary options is structured.
The school's address at 777 N. Wood River Avenue places it on or near a major city spine, adjacent to recreational and civic infrastructure rather than isolated from community life. Wood River itself is a small industrial city historically built around petroleum refining, with a mostly residential early- and mid-20th-century housing stock. The area has seen modest property value growth recently and is in the midst of downtown revitalization, with new restaurants and renovated commercial space along Ferguson Avenue and a newly opened recreation center. Employment remains anchored in refining, manufacturing, and related industrial work, creating a particular economic context for post-secondary planning.
Because state testing data does not apply to this school type, no proficiency or graduation rate comparisons with other Madison County districts are available. The school's strength and fit depend on the specific vocational offerings, the quality of its transition-to-employment partnerships, the training equipment and instructors available, and how closely its curriculum aligns with actual regional job pathways. A parent evaluating CLIP should ask about job placement rates for recent graduates, partnerships with local employers, credential-bearing courses (such as welding, HVAC, or manufacturing certifications), and the extent of individualized planning for each student's post-secondary goals. This is a specialized setting that serves a specific population; success is best measured by concrete post-school outcomes rather than standard academic metrics.
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