The top reported proficiency rate is 49% in English language arts. The lowest is 30% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Spring Garden Elementary School
Spring Garden Elementary School serves kindergarten through fourth grade in Mount Vernon, a county-seat city in southern Illinois where Interstate 57 and 64 cross. The school is part of Spring Garden Community Consolidated School District 178, a small rural district in Jefferson County.
The school's enrollment is small, roughly in the low hundreds, with roughly equal distribution across the grades it serves. The student body is predominantly white, with a very small number of students of other racial backgrounds. Free-and-reduced-price lunch counts and special education and English learner rates were not available in the data.
On the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) for the 2024-25 school year, Spring Garden Elementary reported results for third and fourth grades. In third-grade English language arts, proficiency was above the midpoint for the county, whereas third-grade math proficiency fell below. In fourth grade, both math and English language arts proficiency rates were lower. All students tested participated in both subjects. The school does not serve grades above fourth, so no assessment data is reported for higher grades. The state changed its proficiency cut scores for all tested subjects this year, so year-to-year trend comparison is not reliable at this time.
Compared to the other districts in Jefferson County, Spring Garden Elementary's overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades sits above the county median. A parent may want to look into current support strategies with the school directly, given the variability across grade level and subject in the most recent test results.
Mount Vernon itself is a small city with a slow population decline over the past decade. The area is anchored by large manufacturing employers, including Continental Tire and Walgreens Distribution, alongside SSM Health Good Samaritan Hospital. The city has completed a community revitalization plan and is pursuing infill development, including a new downtown greenspace and planned housing for seniors and people with disabilities. Parks and recreational amenities include Veterans Memorial Park with a lake and community building, and Rend Lake just south of the city is a regional draw for outdoor recreation.
Housing in the 62864 zip code is modestly valued compared to the state benchmark and well below the national benchmark. Both purchase prices and rental rates are relatively affordable for the region. The local economy supports steady employment, though population trends suggest the area is in a gradual adjustment rather than growth phase.
No recent major changes to district operations, curriculum, or governance were found during research. The district remains a small rural PreK-8 system serving its local community.
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