The top reported proficiency rate is 36% in English language arts. The lowest is 18% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Bloomington Jr High School
Bloomington Jr High School serves students in grades six through eight in a district of roughly 1,000 pupils per grade level across the school. The school sits within Bloomington School District 87, a mid-sized district anchoring the Bloomington-Normal metro area in central Illinois, a region of insurance and financial-services employment anchored by State Farm and Country Financial alongside Illinois State University in adjacent Normal.
The school's state testing data shows a clear academic challenge. In math, reported proficiency rates across the three grades tested (6th through 8th) cluster in the low range, with 8th-grade proficiency the strongest of the cohort but still modest. English language arts results are mixed by grade: 6th-grade proficiency is above math, 7th-grade is noticeably stronger than both math and 8th-grade ELA, and 8th-grade ELA drops below 6th-grade levels. Science proficiency data for 8th grade alone is reported; that result falls in the low-to-middle range. Taken together, overall proficiency sits in the bottom quartile among McLean County districts. The school's participation rates are very high across subjects, so the proficiency results reflect actual performance rather than testing gaps.
A parent may want to look into these numbers further with the school: what academic supports are in place for students struggling in math, whether there are acceleration or intervention programs, and whether the grade-seven ELA lift signals something specific about instruction that could extend to other subjects and grade levels.
The enrollment is stable and moderately diverse. The school draws students across all racial and ethnic groups, with no single group overwhelming, and includes Asian, Black, Hispanic, and white students among the largest shares. Sixth graders make up roughly a third of the enrollment, with seventh and eighth grades nearly balanced.
Bloomington Jr High is situated within a district navigating real change. In April 2025 McLean County voters approved a county school facility sales tax dedicated to facility improvements, school resource officers, and mental health professionals, a shift that reduces reliance on local property tax and signals ongoing investment in school operations and student support. The district simultaneously opened the Bloomington Career Academy in October 2025 in a newly purchased former State Farm building, housing career and technical education pathways alongside an expansion of early-childhood programs. The district also adopted a districtwide English language arts curriculum called English 3-D for multilingual learners in middle and high school, moving from teacher-designed materials to a structured program that differentiates newcomers from more advanced speakers. Additionally, the district rolled out a cell-phone ban in classrooms this year, addressing disciplinary pressure that had accumulated around device use. These are not small shifts—they touch infrastructure, pedagogy, and daily classroom norms.
The town itself is in a housing-constrained growth phase. Bloomington is a mid-sized white-collar city with a historic downtown grid, large corporate office campuses, and strong civic anchors including the Miller Park Zoo, the Bloomington Public Library, and Connect Transit. Regional employers like Rivian and Ferrero are expanding in nearby Normal, raising housing demand significantly, but new construction in Bloomington itself is lagging. Home values in the area are moderate relative to national benchmarks, and rental costs reflect modest recent increases. The city is pursuing rehab and infill strategies to address the gap between housing demand and supply, with several active projects in various stages including the Bloomington 77 development on the far west side and townhome projects north of Fox Creek Road. For a parent considering the district, this means an active real-estate market in a city managing rapid regional growth while trying to preserve a mixed, walkable downtown core.
State testing data for grades below 6th and above 8th is not available; the school does not serve those grades, so no comparative testing exists for younger or older students. Free-and-reduced-price lunch data, special education identification rates, and English learner enrollment counts were not reported, so information about economic disadvantage and special student populations is incomplete. A parent interested in these details should request them directly from the school.
See more original research from School Decision →