Original Research by School Decision on Farrington Elem School
Farrington Elem School is a very small, rural public school serving students from pre-K through eighth grade in Bluford, Illinois, a village of roughly a few hundred residents in southern Illinois. The school's enrollment is small, with just over fifty students total distributed across all grade levels, the largest concentrations in grades seven and eight. The student body is predominantly white, with a small number of students from other racial backgrounds. Specific demographic information about students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, those receiving special education services, and English learners is not available in the data provided.
The school sits in Bluford, a spread-out rural community with limited urban density and few nearby amenities. The village has been experiencing modest population decline over recent years. Schools function as one of the principal civic anchors in this small place; Farrington Elem and the local high school are among the institutional centers of community life. Housing in the area consists largely of owner-occupied single-family homes and mobile homes, with an older median construction date and little new residential development underway.
Farrington Elem is operated by Farrington CCSD 99, a very small district that serves the local area. Current information about district-level priorities, recent policy changes, or strategic initiatives was not readily available, so the district profile could not be drawn with specificity here.
State assessment data for Farrington Elem in math, English language arts, and science were not available in the data released. Illinois changed proficiency cut scores in recent years across all tested subjects, which affects trend comparison; without current year results, the school's academic standing cannot be characterized here. A parent may want to reach out to the school directly to ask about current student achievement and any available local assessment results, as this gives fuller perspective than state testing alone.
The school's small size is a defining characteristic. With just over fifty students across nine grades, class sizes would be small and students would have close contact with staff. This creates conditions where individual student needs and relationships can shape experience directly, though it also means less breadth in course offerings, elective choices, or specialized programming than larger schools can provide. The multi-grade school structure means younger and older children learn in the same building, which some families prefer and others do not.
No information about specific academic programs, extracurricular offerings, or student support services was available in the provided data. A parent interested in understanding what pathways exist for enrichment, remediation, or special interests would benefit from contacting the school to learn what's available given its small size and rural context.
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