Centralia Jr High School, Centralia IL

Original Research by School Decision on Centralia Jr High School

Centralia Jr High School serves grades four through eight in this small south-central Illinois city. The school enrolls a mid-sized student body drawn from the broader Centralia community, which has been experiencing population decline over recent decades but remains anchored by regional employers including SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital, local manufacturers, and civic institutions like Kaskaskia College.

The academic profile shows a meaningful gap in mathematics proficiency. Across tested grades, math results are consistently weak: fourth-graders show single-digit proficiency, and the trend continues through eighth grade, where proficiency remains very low across the grade band. In English language arts, the pattern is notably different. Fourth-graders also show modest results, but by fifth grade proficiency improves and strengthens further in sixth and seventh grades, reaching a higher level by eighth grade. Science testing, available only for fifth and eighth grades, sits below the school's reading proficiency but above its mathematics performance. When proficiency rates across all tested subjects and grades are averaged together, the school's overall standing falls into the bottom quartile relative to districts elsewhere in Marion County.

A parent may want to examine the mathematics data more closely with the school to understand what approaches are in place to address the particularly low performance in that area, how the school is supporting students who fall short of proficiency, and what, if any, recent interventions or curriculum changes have been implemented. The stronger trajectory in English language arts suggests the school does see gains at the secondary-grade level in reading, which may offer a model worth exploring for math instruction.

The school's student composition is predominantly white, with a smaller share of Black students and multiracial students, and a small share of Hispanic students. Enrollment by grade is fairly balanced across the fourth through eighth grades. Data on students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch was not available, nor was information on students with individualized education plans or English learners. The district website or a direct call to the school office would clarify those populations and the supports available.

Centralia itself is a working-class community with detached single-family housing as the dominant home type. The median home value in the area is modest relative to state and national benchmarks, and the typical estimated monthly mortgage payment is affordable by national standards. The town has a distinct historic downtown anchored by a tall carillon bell tower, with civic life organized around parks like Foundation Park and the regional library. Healthcare, education, manufacturing, and direct service work form the local economic base. Recent development activity includes downtown apartment conversions and hospital renovation, suggesting modest reinvestment despite the town's population losses.

State testing data carried a note that cut scores changed for the 2024-25 school year, which means trend comparisons to prior years are not straightforward. The school participated in testing at high rates; participation was nearly universal. No graduation rate is reported because the school serves only through eighth grade.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 413%

School 13% · District 13%

▼ 24 pts below state median

Grade 58%

School 8% · District 8%

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 67%

School 7% · District 7%

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 79%

School 9% · District 9%

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 86%

School 6% · District 6%

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 426%

School 26% · District 26%

▼ 22 pts below state median

Grade 537%

School 37% · District 37%

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

Grade 635%

School 35% · District 35%

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 736%

School 36% · District 36%

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 843%

School 43% · District 43%

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Science

Grade 521%

School 21% · District 21%

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 827%

School 27% · District 27%

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

This schoolCentralia SD 135, 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.