The top reported proficiency rate is 55% in English language arts. The lowest is 41% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Central Grade School
Central Grade School serves grades 2 through 5 in Effingham, a small city that functions as the county seat and regional commercial hub in south-central Illinois. The school enrolls a small population of students, nearly all of whom are white. The school sits in a town that blends walkable downtown neighborhoods with highway-oriented commercial corridors along the I-57/I-70 interchange, and it is part of a district currently navigating repeated facility funding challenges.
The academic picture at Central is mixed. In reading and language arts, third-graders show slightly above-average performance, while fifth-graders perform solidly. Fourth-graders underperform in reading relative to the other grade levels served. In mathematics, proficiency declines as grade level rises: third-graders reach a modest level of success, fourth-graders show weaker results, and fifth-graders drop further still. Science proficiency in fifth grade is low. Across tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it below the midpoint among the five districts in Effingham County. The school participates fully in state testing, so the reported numbers reflect actual performance rather than incomplete participation.
State testing results in Illinois underwent scoring changes that affect trend comparison; year-to-year change cannot be safely computed from the available data, so families cannot yet see whether performance is stable, improving, or declining from prior years.
The school's enrollment is small for its grade band and relatively homogeneous: nearly all students are white, with small numbers of Black and Hispanic students and a small multiracial cohort. Data on free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility, English learners, and students with IEPs are not publicly reported at this school, so a parent may want to contact the school directly to understand its economic diversity and support services. A modest share of second-graders are also enrolled.
Central Grade School sits within Effingham Community Unit School District 40, which operates six schools across the district. The district has faced four failed ballot referendums since the early 2010s, most recently in November 2024, when voters rejected a sales tax proposal meant to fund facility improvements. In 2025, the district moved to issue bonds to build a new K-2 building and carry out other facility work. This proposal triggered a resident petition to force a public referendum on the property-tax impact. Families with young children should understand that the district's long-standing facility constraints and the ongoing bond and levy discussions directly shape what may be available at Central and other schools, and these decisions remain in flux. The district does not appear to have published strategic priorities or program pathways on a public-facing website that would help families understand curricular direction or special offerings beyond the baseline.
Effingham itself is a stable, car-dependent community with a historic downtown featuring local shops and restaurants, and employment anchored by manufacturing, healthcare, and regional retail and hospitality. Median household income is modest but above the national benchmark. Housing values in the area are below both state and national medians, making the area relatively affordable for families buying or renting.
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