Estelle Sauget School of Choice, Cahokia IL

Original Research by School Decision on Estelle Sauget School of Choice

Estelle Sauget School of Choice is a public elementary and middle school serving prekindergarten through eighth grade in Cahokia Heights, Illinois, part of Cahokia CUSD 187. The school enrolls a small, cohesive student body, predominantly Black, with a substantial representation of white and multiracial students as well. Free and reduced lunch eligibility data were not available in the enrollment records, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the socioeconomic profile of the enrollment.

The school's most pressing characteristic is its academic performance on state tests. In math, proficiency rates across grades three through eight range from near zero to about four in ten students meeting or exceeding state standards; third grade math proficiency is the highest, while fourth grade and the middle grades show particularly low results. In English language arts, third grade performs strongest at just under half the cohort, while fifth and eighth grades fall to around one in seven students proficient. Science results, assessed in fifth and eighth grades, show around one in eleven students reaching proficiency. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile among St. Clair County districts. The school achieved full participation in state assessments, so these results reflect the entire tested population. A parent considering this school should understand that sustained academic support and intervention are likely in place but should ask the school directly about the specific programs, additional staffing, and turnaround initiatives underway.

The school sits on Jerome Lane in Cahokia Heights, a residential suburb in the Metro East region south of St. Louis. Cahokia Heights is primarily auto-dependent, organized around Camp Jackson Road as the main commercial strip, with chain retail and services. The community is marked by long-term population decline, though a 2021 merger of three towns aimed to stabilize services. A new affordable housing development, Vivian's Village, opened nearby in 2025, signaling modest reinvestment. The housing market is inexpensive by most standards, with median home values and rents both modest. The largest employers in the area include Touchette Regional Hospital, a general aviation facility, grain terminal operations, and nearby industrial sites. MetroBus service on Route 2 connects the school area to East St. Louis and broader transit access.

The district itself is undertaking a generational facilities upgrade: a new Cahokia High School is under construction on donated land and was expected to open in fall 2026, financed through lease certificates without a property tax increase. That project signals commitment to physical infrastructure, though it is upstream of this school, which serves younger students.

The school's title status, special education enrollment rate, English learner population, attendance patterns, discipline data, and detailed staffing information were not available in the record provided. Parents should request these details from the school to understand the full learning environment and what supports exist for students with different needs.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 341%

School 41% · District 12% · ▲ 28 pts above district

▼ 5 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 413%

School 13% · District 6% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

Grade 55%

School 5% · District 7% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 60%

School 0% · District 1%

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

Grade 75%

School 5% · District 2% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 23 pts below county median

Grade 85%

School 5% · District 4%

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 348%

School 48% · District 13% · ▲ 35 pts above district

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 433%

School 33% · District 14% · ▲ 19 pts above district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 514%

School 14% · District 12% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 39 pts below state median · ▼ 43 pts below county median

Grade 615%

School 15% · District 14% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 35 pts below state median · ▼ 43 pts below county median

Grade 723%

School 23% · District 14% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▼ 39 pts below county median

Grade 814%

School 14% · District 13% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 40 pts below state median · ▼ 49 pts below county median

Science

Grade 59%

School 9% · District 6% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 28 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

Grade 89%

School 9% · District 11% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 30 pts below state median · ▼ 35 pts below county median

This schoolCahokia CUSD 187, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.