The top reported proficiency rate is 25% in Math. The lowest is 19% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Schiller Elem School
Schiller Elementary serves prekindergarten through first grade in Centralia, a small south-central Illinois city. The school sits on a residential street in a working-class community of single-family homes with a median construction year in the mid-twentieth century. The town has faced steady population decline over recent decades, though recent revitalization efforts by local entrepreneurs and investment in downtown apartments and retail have brought some signs of renewal. SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital, the region's largest employer, has announced renovation plans, and a handful of manufacturers and service employers anchor the local economy.
Schiller has a total enrollment spread across three grade bands, with the majority in kindergarten. The student body is racially and ethnically mixed, with roughly equal shares of white and black students, and a smaller share of students identifying as two or more races or Hispanic. Data on free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility and on students with disabilities or English learners was not available.
The school's academic performance rests on state testing data from a single year. In third grade, which Schiller does not serve but which provides the only available proficiency snapshot from this school, state testing results were quite low. Math proficiency stood well below the county median, and English language arts proficiency was even lower. Participation in testing was relatively high, suggesting the results reflect actual performance rather than testing barriers. It should be noted that the state assessment itself changed around that time, so comparing year-to-year would require caution. A parent may want to look into how the school has supported student learning in the years since, particularly for early literacy and numeracy, which are critical foundations in these grade bands.
State testing data for kindergarten and prekindergarten is not available because those grades are not assessed by Illinois state tests. For a school serving only these youngest learners alongside first grade, early literacy and math screening tools, teacher observation, and formative assessment within the school itself would be the sources of detail on how students are progressing.
The school is a regular public school, not a charter or specialized program. It is located in Centralia School District 135, a K-8 system serving the city across four schools. No recent major district-wide changes, referenda, curriculum shifts, or consolidation news could be verified, leaving the operational and strategic context of the district unclear from available sources.
The broader housing and economic context is modest and measured. Median home values in the area are below both state and national benchmarks, and mortgage affordability remains reasonable relative to median household income. The local labor market has moderate unemployment with a varied employer base spanning healthcare, manufacturing, direct service, and retail. Parks and civic amenities including Foundation Park with trails and a balloon festival, a downtown library, and community recreation facilities are active parts of neighborhood life, though the town's population trajectory is downward.
For families considering Schiller, the school represents early-grade instruction in a smaller, working-class community with affordable housing and some visible local investment and renewal. Early literacy and numeracy support, and whether the school has particular strengths in helping young learners build foundational skills, would be worth exploring directly with the school.
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