The top reported proficiency rate is 28% in Science. The lowest is 11% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Beardstown Jr/sr High School
Beardstown Jr/Sr High School serves grades five through twelve in a consolidated building that is the sole public secondary pathway in Beardstown CUSD 15. The school sits in a working-class Illinois River city that has been reshaped by immigration tied to meatpacking employment, with a student body that is majority Hispanic and includes speakers of over fifteen languages. The enrollment is modest and stable, with roughly evenly distributed class sizes across the middle and high school grades.
Academic performance, measured by state testing in 2024–25, shows proficiency rates that are substantially below the midpoint among districts in Cass County. In mathematics across grades five through eight, proficiency ranges from low single digits in sixth grade to under one in five in fifth grade. English language arts performance is somewhat stronger, with fifth-grade proficiency near one in three and seventh grade at roughly one in three, but sixth and eighth grades both fall below one in five. Science proficiency in fifth grade was near one in four; eighth grade science was roughly one in three. The school achieved full or near-full participation on all tested assessments, indicating that absence from testing is not a significant factor in these results. State data on graduation rate, chronic absenteeism, and free-or-reduced-price-lunch eligibility were not available.
The student body is substantially Hispanic, with a majority of enrollment; Black students represent one in ten, white students roughly one in three, and Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, and multiracial students make up smaller shares. The school serves an economically rooted population tied to the local labor market.
The district has recently made structural changes relevant to families with younger children. The early-grades program consolidation closed Grand Avenue School and opened a new Pre-K wing at Gard Elementary during the 2023–24 school year, shifting the district toward a two-building model. The district also implemented a substantial property tax levy increase for the 2024 tax year, a meaningful fixed cost for homeowners considering the area.
Housing values in the Beardstown zip code have declined modestly year over year. The median home price for the area is below the Illinois state benchmark, and mortgage affordability is favorable relative to national standards; estimated monthly mortgage payments are well below the national median. This reflects both the modest local economy and the aging of the housing stock, with most homes built before the 1950s and little new construction in recent decades. Beardstown itself has experienced flat to slightly declining population for years, though the character of that stability has shifted: vacant houses have been filled and previously shuttered storefronts reopened, driven by immigration connected to the JBS pork plant, the largest regional employer.
The school's low proficiency rates warrant direct conversation with the district about instructional support, curriculum alignment, and any targeted interventions in mathematics and literacy. The state data do not show other outcome measures such as attendance or graduation rate, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those indicators. For families drawn to Beardstown by employment or affordability, this school represents the only public secondary option; the question becomes whether the school's current academic trajectory and support systems align with a family's educational needs and whether supplemental resources or advocacy within the school might address identified gaps.
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