The top reported proficiency rate is 52% in Science. The lowest is 28% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Elverado Intermediate School
Elverado Intermediate School serves grades 3 through 5 in Vergennes, a very small rural village in northern Jackson County, Illinois. The school draws from Vergennes and three neighboring towns (Dowell, Elkville, and Oraville) as part of Elverado Community Unit School District 196, a consolidated multi-town arrangement. The student body is small, with a total enrollment typical for a rural intermediate school, and is predominantly white, with a modest representation of other racial and ethnic groups. Demographic data on free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility and special populations (students with IEPs and English learners) was not available.
The area itself is losing population gradually, having contracted over recent decades. Housing values are modest relative to state and national benchmarks, making it an affordable region. Most residents own their homes. The village sits on a sparse, low-density footprint with limited commercial activity; it functions as a residential and rural settlement rather than a walkable downtown. Employment opportunities are limited locally; the county seat of Murphysboro, about ten miles away, is the main employment hub.
State assessment results from spring 2025 show low proficiency across the school. In math, third and fourth graders scored below proficiency; fifth graders achieved near even split between proficient and non-proficient. In English language arts, third and fourth graders again fell below proficiency, while fifth graders reached a level closer to parity. Science assessment in fifth grade, the only grade tested, showed a slight majority proficient. A parent may want to look into further detail with the school on remediation approaches and the factors behind these overall low proficiency rates. The data suggests a school working with academic challenges that deserve direct conversation with staff.
Relative to other districts in Jackson County, Elverado Intermediate School's overall proficiency index sits below the midpoint. The school does not serve high grades, so no graduation rate applies. Chronic absenteeism data was not available.
The district is undergoing a major transition. In April 2025, voters approved a substantial bond referendum to consolidate three aging school buildings (the primary school in Elkville, this intermediate school, and the junior high) into a single new Pre-K through 8th grade facility on the current high school site. The district has begun issuing the associated bonds and will impose a direct annual property tax levy to service them. Though district leadership notes that Elverado will retain the lowest tax rate among Jackson County districts even after the referendum, families should expect a multi-year property tax impact beginning soon. The new facility represents a major infrastructure investment and signals confidence in the district's future despite the village's population decline.
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