Original Research by School Decision on Effingham High School
Effingham High School serves grades nine through twelve in Effingham, Illinois, a small city of roughly mid-sized population that sits at a major interstate crossroads and functions as the county seat. The school's enrollment runs to nearly 740 students distributed fairly evenly across the four grades.
The student body is predominantly white, with smaller shares of Hispanic, Black, Asian, and multiracial students; the demographic composition reflects the broader community. Information on free and reduced-price lunch eligibility was not available, so a reader cannot assess from the data how many students face economic hardship. Similarly, counts of students with individualized education plans or English learners are not reported.
State testing results for high school grades were not available in the data. Illinois assesses mathematics and English language arts in grades three through eight and science in grades five and eight, none of which fall within this school's grade band, and the state does not report proficiency data for high school courses. Because this is a high school, there are no state assessment results to review as performance indicators. A parent may want to consult the school directly about how it measures academic progress in its grade nine through twelve coursework, whether through AP or dual-credit offerings, or through other local benchmarks.
A graduation rate for Effingham High School was not reported in the data. This missing figure may reflect a data reporting gap rather than a school characteristic, so a parent should contact the school or district for current completion or graduation statistics.
Housing values in Effingham's zip code sit somewhat below the state benchmark, making the community moderately affordable for families relocating to the area. The local economy centers on healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing, with major employers including dental support services, food service equipment production, and light manufacturing.
The broader context facing the district deserves mention. In November 2024, voters rejected the district's sales tax referendum for facility improvements, the fourth such rejection since a prior year. The district has since moved to issue bonds for a new kindergarten-through-grade-two building and facility upgrades, which would increase property taxes. Community members have gathered signatures to force that bond question to a public referendum, so the tax impact and shape of future school facilities remain unsettled questions that will affect property owners and families with young children in the district.
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