The top reported proficiency rate is 44% in Science. The lowest is 25% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Delavan Jr High School
Delavan Junior High School serves grades seven and eight in a small rural city in southern Tazewell County. The enrollment is small, numbering fewer than a hundred students split nearly evenly between the two grades. The student body is predominantly white. Free-and-reduced-price lunch data and counts for students with individualized education plans or English learners were not available, so a full picture of economic need or special populations at this school is not present in the data.
The school sits on Locust Street, the same street that runs through Delavan's modest historic downtown, placing it within walking distance of the town's commercial core rather than on an isolated campus. This downtown location reflects Delavan's character as a rural city navigating long-term population decline through downtown revitalization. The median home value in the area has appreciated, and housing affordability remains moderate relative to national benchmarks, though inventory is thin. Employment for most residents means commuting to nearby cities like Peoria, Bloomington, or Springfield; local jobs center on agriculture, a cannabis cultivation facility, and the school district itself.
Academic results on the 2024-25 Illinois Assessment of Readiness show the school facing real headwinds. In mathematics, seventh-grade proficiency stands well below the midpoint among Tazewell County districts, and eighth-grade math proficiency is similar. English language arts performance is more variable by grade: seventh grade sits in the middle range for the county, while eighth grade is among the lower results. Science proficiency in eighth grade, the only grade tested in that subject, is roughly at the county median. Overall, when proficiency rates are averaged across all tested subjects and grades, the school's proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile relative to the other districts in Tazewell County.
Assessment participation was complete in all tested grades. The data indicates the school delivered the tests to its full student population, so the results reflect actual student performance rather than gaps in testing coverage.
The school is part of Delavan CUSD 703, which in 2024 approved a substantial referendum to replace much of the aging high school building with a smaller, technology-integrated, student-centered facility. This capital project signals a long-term district commitment to modernizing its learning spaces, though it directly affects the high school rather than this junior high. The district has also undertaken downtown revitalization and small-business support initiatives in recent years, framing education as part of a broader town-building effort.
State testing data for earlier years, teacher qualifications, attendance rates, discipline records, AP or honors offerings, and other program details were not available. A parent looking at this school may want to speak directly with the district about curriculum supports in math, the specific strategies in place to improve proficiency in the lower-performing grades, and how the junior high connects to the high school's upcoming facility upgrade.
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