The top reported proficiency rate is 53% in English language arts. The lowest is 45% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Hedding Grade Sch
Hedding Grade School is a public elementary school in Abingdon, Illinois, serving students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. The school sits in a small rural city roughly fifty miles west of Peoria, in southwestern Knox County, shaped by agricultural heritage and characterized by quiet, family-oriented life. The town has experienced slow population decline over recent decades, with limited job opportunities and a small downtown commercial district showing visible decline, though churches and seasonal community events remain civic anchors.
The school's enrollment is roughly four hundred students, distributed fairly evenly across its grade span. The student body is predominantly white, with smaller shares of students who identify as multiracial, Hispanic, Black, or American Indian/Alaska Native. Data on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch was not available, as was information on the count or rate of students receiving special education services or English learner support.
On the most recent state assessments, Hedding's results show uneven performance across subjects and grades. In English language arts, third-graders showed lower proficiency, while fourth-graders performed closer to the state midpoint, and fifth-graders achieved higher proficiency. Math results decline notably as students advance: third and fourth graders showed proficiency near the state midpoint, while fifth graders showed substantially lower proficiency. In science, fifth-grade results were near the state midpoint. All tested students participated in the state assessments. A parent may want to ask the school directly about the downward math trajectory and what instructional supports are in place for students in the upper elementary grades.
When compared against other districts in Knox County, Hedding's overall proficiency index places it above the median for the county, suggesting the school performs better on average across tested grades and subjects than many of its neighbors in the region. This positioning offers some context: the school is not at the highest tier of county performance, but it sits above the typical baseline.
The school serves only grades through fifth, so state data on high school completion and college or career readiness do not apply. Housing in the Abingdon area remains affordable relative to state and national benchmarks, with median home values in the modest range and monthly estimated mortgage payments low, a reflection of the rural setting and declining population. The Abingdon-Avon school district recently opened a consolidated Avon Campus for elementary and middle school students, a facility change that affects where students in that attendance area study daily and is the kind of infrastructure shift families consider when choosing where to live. The district also placed an eleven-cent property tax levy on the ballot in April 2025, intended to fund facility improvements and grounds work; the outcome of that measure carries implications for either local tax bills or the condition of school facilities, both factors that weigh on families' housing and enrollment decisions.
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