The top reported proficiency rate is 65% in English language arts. The lowest is 31% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Carthage Middle School
Carthage Middle School serves grades five through eight in a small county-seat setting in western Illinois. The school is part of Carthage ESD 317 and enrolls a small to mid-sized population for its grade band. Most of the student body is white, with a small share of Hispanic and multiracial students; demographic breakdowns on free-or-reduced-price lunch and English learners were not available.
Academic performance reveals a pattern worth examining closely. The school's English-language-arts results are substantially stronger than mathematics. In grades seven and eight, ELA proficiency reaches into the solid range, while across all tested grades in mathematics, proficiency stays well below the midpoint. Grade five shows the widest subject gap: competent performance in ELA but markedly lower math results. Science proficiency in grade eight is modest. Grade five science proficiency is particularly low. These figures sit at the top quartile relative to other districts in Hancock County on an overall proficiency index, which reflects the math weakness more than compensated by stronger ELA; a parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand what supports exist for students struggling in mathematics, especially in the middle grades.
State assessment data for grades three and four were not available, likely because the school's grade configuration serves fifth through eighth grades and those younger grades are tested elsewhere in the district.
Carthage itself is a small rural city functioning as the government and service hub for Hancock County. The surrounding landscape is primarily agricultural, dominated by corn, soybeans, and livestock operations. The downtown centers on the historic Courthouse Square, where shops and civic institutions cluster. Outside that zone, the city is car-oriented; residents commute by personal vehicle and rely almost entirely on private transportation, as fixed-route public transit does not exist. The housing market is affordable relative to state and national benchmarks, and population has remained stable with modest recent growth. Major employers include Memorial Hospital, an independent nonprofit, plus healthcare clinics, veterinary services, agricultural businesses, county government, and the school district itself.
The district recently launched an on-campus behavioral health counseling initiative through Memorial Medical Clinic Mobile, available to students ages four through eighteen starting in fall 2024. Appointments require no referral, services are billed to insurance where possible, and financial assistance is available for families in need. This adds a significant support resource housed directly at school and removes a key barrier for working families seeking mental health care.
The school's profile fits a rural, tight-knit community where most students remain local and where academic support in mathematics during the middle grades appears to be the primary academic challenge to address.
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