Original Research by School Decision on East Peoria High School
East Peoria High School serves grades nine through twelve in East Peoria, a small suburb across the Illinois River from Peoria in Tazewell County. The school enrolls a student body that is predominantly white, with smaller shares of students identifying as two or more races, Hispanic, Black, Asian, and American Indian or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander populations. The enrollment sits at roughly nine hundred students spread across four grade levels.
State assessment data for this high school were not available. Illinois assesses elementary and middle grades in math, ELA, and science, but high school testing occurs through end-of-course exams and other pathways; the data provided do not include high school proficiency results or graduation rates. A parent may want to contact the school directly or review the district website for recent assessment outcomes and the four-year graduation rate, as these are primary indicators of academic performance at the high school level.
The school is located in East Peoria, a post-industrial riverside community that has spent the past two decades redeveloping former Caterpillar manufacturing land into the Levee District, a mixed-use zone with retail, dining, and residential development. The city is not highly walkable; daily life is oriented around driving and commercial corridors. City planners have prioritized adding multifamily housing near retail to increase walkability, and a major mixed-use project called Blutowne was substantially complete as of late 2024, bringing upscale residential units to the downtown core near City Hall and the newly opened Fondulac District Library. Employment in the area centers on regional anchors: Caterpillar heavy equipment, OSF HealthCare, the Par-A-Dice Hotel and Casino, and Illinois Central College, which has its main campus in East Peoria.
Housing in the area has become notably more active. Home values in the zip code have risen and the housing market shows strong demand paired with solid supply. Median listing prices have increased and new listings are coming to market at a brisk pace. The affordability picture is favorable compared to national benchmarks, though mortgage rates remain in the mid-sixes. The property tax environment offers some relief: the school district has held its levy flat while Tazewell County property assessments have risen, effectively lowering the school portion of a family's property tax bill as values climb.
The district has undergone a multi-year transition in school identity and traditions. The school has been phasing out Native American imagery tied to its Raiders identity following community forums and anticipated changes in state law. This shift affects athletics, school culture, and long-standing traditions such as the war chant. The transition is ongoing and represents a lasting change in how families and students experience school identity and campus culture.
Information about academic programs, course offerings, discipline data, attendance rates, staffing levels, and special populations served was not available in the data provided. A prospective family should visit the school's website or contact the main office to learn about AP courses, career pathways, dual-credit options with Illinois Central College, extracurricular activities, and support services. The school is a regular public high school within a single-school district, so academic decisions and resource allocation are made at the high school level rather than across a multi-school district structure.
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