The top reported proficiency rate is 44% in English language arts. The lowest is 32% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Benton Grade Sch K-4
Benton Grade Sch K-4 is a regular public elementary school serving pre-kindergarten through fourth grade in a small Southern Illinois city. The school sits near the historic downtown, where civic life concentrates around the courthouse square and Main Street.
The school enrolls roughly a mid-sized number of students across its grades, with particularly full fourth-grade and first- and second-grade classes. The student body is overwhelmingly white, with a small share of students identifying as Hispanic or multiracial, and very few Black or Asian students. Free-and-reduced-price lunch eligibility data was not available, limiting visibility into economic need within the school's population. Special education enrollment and English learner counts were not reported.
In academic performance, the school shows mixed results on the Illinois Assessment of Readiness. Third-grade proficiency in English language arts reached about half of students, but fell notably lower in fourth grade. Mathematics proficiency was weaker in both tested grades, with third graders reaching just over a third of the state proficiency bar and fourth graders coming in below that. Participation in state testing was complete; the state changed its proficiency cut scores this year, so trend comparison to prior years is not possible. Relative to other districts in Franklin County, Benton Grade Sch K-4's overall proficiency index falls above the midpoint, positioning it in the middle band of county schools, though state testing data for the school's youngest grades were not available, as kindergarten, pre-kindergarten, and first and second graders are not assessed statewide.
The school has no reported graduation rate, which is expected given its K-4 grade span. Chronic absenteeism data were not available.
Benton itself is a sparse suburban small city, mostly owner-occupied, with a modest housing market. Employment is distributed across manufacturing, health care, and service work. Population has been relatively flat to slightly declining, though new residential construction including low-income and senior housing units is underway. Most residents drive their own cars to work. The broader district, Benton CCSD 47, has experienced no major recent referendums, tax changes, or curriculum shifts with lasting public impact based on available reporting.
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