Desoto Elementary School, De Soto IL

Original Research by School Decision on Desoto Elementary School

DeSoto Elementary School serves prekindergarten through eighth grade in the village of De Soto, a small rural community in northeastern Jackson County. The school is the sole school in the Desoto Consolidated School District 86.

The village itself is compact and predominantly residential, bisected by U.S. Route 51 and characterized by modest local commerce. With a stable population and owner-occupied housing stock, De Soto has a low-density, fringe-rural character. The nearest regional amenities, including Southern Illinois University and more substantial commercial and civic services, lie in Carbondale about six miles to the south.

Academically, DeSoto Elementary faces significant challenges. State assessment data from 2024–25 show proficiency rates that are consistently low across both English language arts and mathematics. In mathematics, proficiency ranges from a low of around five percent in sixth grade to a high of thirty percent in fifth grade, with most other grades falling between ten and twenty percent. English language arts performance is somewhat more variable but still largely below fifty percent at most grade levels, with fifth and seventh grades reaching approximately forty-five to fifty percent and other tested grades considerably lower. The school participated fully in state testing with no participation gaps noted. Science testing at fifth and eighth grades shows proficiency in the mid-to-high thirty percent range, slightly stronger than the core subjects but still below what would typically be considered strong performance.

When compared against the universe of districts within Jackson County, the school's overall proficiency index places it below the midpoint. The county has several other districts with meaningfully higher achievement profiles.

The enrollment is small, around two hundred students distributed across the grade span. The student body is predominantly white, with a smaller share of students identifying as two or more races, and smaller representations of Black and Hispanic students. Specific data on free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility and special education enrollment were not available. The school lists no particular magnet or charter designation and operates as a regular public school.

Housing in the De Soto area is modestly valued and affordable relative to national benchmarks. The median home value is substantially below the state average and below nearby Carbondale. The housing market shows stability rather than rapid growth; population in the village has been essentially flat in recent years.

A parent considering this school should recognize that the current academic performance data suggests students are not proficient at state-expected levels in tested subjects. The small size and rural setting provide a particular community context, but academic outcomes warrant direct conversation with the school about instruction, support services, and any recent improvement initiatives. The school's standing relative to other Jackson County options should factor into the family's decision.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 317%

School 17% · District 17%

▼ 29 pts below state median

Grade 421%

School 21% · District 21%

▼ 16 pts below state median

Grade 530%

School 30% · District 30%

even with state median

Grade 66%

School 6% · District 6%

▼ 18 pts below state median

Grade 711%

School 11% · District 11%

▼ 18 pts below state median

Grade 818%

School 18% · District 18%

▼ 4 pts below state median

English language arts

Grade 322%

School 22% · District 22%

▼ 22 pts below state median

Grade 446%

School 46% · District 46%

▼ 2 pts below state median

Grade 550%

School 50% · District 50%

▼ 2 pts below state median

Grade 624%

School 24% · District 24%

▼ 27 pts below state median

Grade 744%

School 44% · District 44%

▼ 7 pts below state median

Grade 827%

School 27% · District 27%

▼ 26 pts below state median

Science

Grade 535%

School 35% · District 35%

▼ 2 pts below state median

Grade 827%

School 27% · District 27%

▼ 12 pts below state median

This schoolDeSoto Cons SD 86, 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.