The top reported proficiency rate is 65% in English language arts. The lowest is 41% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Carlinville Intermediate School
Carlinville Intermediate School serves students in grades three through five in a public school setting in the Carlinville CUSD 1 district, located in a historic county-seat city in Macoupin County. The school sits in a community marked by a walkable downtown anchored by the Macoupin County Courthouse and a brick-paved town square, alongside residential neighborhoods and the 80-acre Blackburn College campus. Carlinville is pursuing modest, planned growth centered on housing diversity and historic preservation rather than rapid expansion, having entered a community revitalization partnership with the Illinois Housing Development Authority in 2024 aimed at strengthening housing stock and property maintenance.
The school's enrollment is small, with about equal representation across the three grades served. The student body is predominantly white, with a very small share of Asian, Black, or Hispanic students, and a modest share identifying as multiracial. Free-or-reduced-price lunch data and counts of students with individualized education plans or English learner status were not available, so a reader cannot assess economic need or special population support from the data provided.
In reading proficiency, the school shows relatively stronger results. Third- and fourth-grade English language arts scores sit comfortably above half of all students, with fifth grade performing at a higher level. Mathematics proficiency tells a different story: third-grade math performance is roughly in line with language arts, but performance declines as students move into fourth and fifth grade, with fifth-grade math proficiency dropping substantially. Science proficiency in fifth grade falls below both reading and math at the lower grades. The school's overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades places it in the top quartile when compared to districts in Macoupin County.
A parent or resident should note that the school only serves tested grades three through five, so state assessment data does not exist for the earlier and later grades that fall within the full K-12 pipeline. The district recently reorganized its middle and high school grades into a unified six-to-twelve complex, beginning with the 2024-25 school year, with teachers working across both buildings to align curriculum and smooth transitions. This is a structural change affecting how students experience the move from intermediate to middle school instruction.
The district has pursued above-inflation property tax levy increases in consecutive years, including increases that triggered Truth in Taxation hearings because they exceeded threshold amounts. Homebuyers and renters considering the Carlinville area should expect school funding to remain a visible line item on their property tax bills. Housing values in the broader Carlinville zip code are below state and national benchmarks, with median home values lower than comparable properties statewide, and monthly mortgage costs estimated well below the national average for current rates.
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