Giant City Elem School, Carbondale IL

Original Research by School Decision on Giant City Elem School

Giant City Elem School is a small, pre-K through eighth-grade building in Carbondale, Illinois, serving a student body of just over two hundred students. It is the sole school in Giant City CCSD 130, a one-school district. The building sits on a rural edge of the city, near the edge of the larger urban-college environment that Carbondale offers through Southern Illinois University.

The school's test results show uneven performance across grade levels and subjects. In English language arts, the picture is bright in the middle and upper grades: seventh-graders score at a very high level of proficiency, and eighth-graders also post strong results. Third and fourth graders perform solidly as well. By contrast, fifth-grade ELA proficiency dips markedly. In mathematics, the school faces a steeper challenge. Third through sixth graders score near or just below the midpoint of proficiency; seventh grade rises slightly higher. Eighth-grade mathematics proficiency, however, drops sharply, sitting well below where it was in seventh grade. Science testing covers only fifth and eighth grades; proficiency in fifth grade is modest, while eighth grade is stronger. Across all tested grades and subjects, the school's overall proficiency average places it in the top quartile among the ten districts in Jackson County. This strength is driven largely by ELA gains in grades six through eight, which offset weaker performance in earlier grades and in mathematics across the board.

The school's student body is predominantly white, with a small multiracial presence and modest representation of Asian, Black, and Hispanic students. The school does not report free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility or rates of special education or English learner status, so a parent cannot assess economic need or language-support demand from the data provided here.

The district completed a major facilities renovation in summer 2025, including new flooring, a repainted roof, and a new HVAC system. For a building that had not undergone large-scale renovation in many years, this modernization improves the daily learning environment substantially. Additionally, Giant City School joined a regional library consortium in 2025, giving all K-8 students automatic library cards and access to materials from libraries across Illinois with delivery to the school. For a small rural district, this broadens the instructional resources available.

Carbondale itself is a mixed-use college town, anchored by Southern Illinois University and a historic downtown around the Town Square. The local housing market is well below state and national medians, making it an affordable community. The broader region includes state parks and national forest nearby, creating outdoor recreational access. Public transportation within the city is limited, and most residents rely on cars except in the downtown core.

A parent weighing this school should note that while the school ranks high overall among county peers, that strength depends heavily on strong upper-middle-grade ELA outcomes. The lower grades and mathematics across most grades show softer proficiency, so a family with a child in early elementary or one who struggles with math may want to discuss the school's intervention and support strategies in detail. The recent facilities investment is a genuine asset for student comfort and climate control. The school's small size means tight teacher-to-student ratios and a close-knit setting, which suits some families well; it also means fewer specialized programs and course options than larger schools offer.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 355%

School 55% · District 55%

▲ 9 pts above state median

Grade 452%

School 52% · District 52%

▲ 16 pts above state median

Grade 550%

School 50% · District 50%

▲ 20 pts above state median

Grade 653%

School 53% · District 53%

▲ 29 pts above state median

Grade 761%

School 61% · District 61%

▲ 32 pts above state median

Grade 826%

School 26% · District 26%

▲ 4 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 368%

School 68% · District 68%

▲ 24 pts above state median

Grade 467%

School 67% · District 67%

▲ 19 pts above state median

Grade 545%

School 45% · District 45%

▼ 7 pts below state median

Grade 682%

School 82% · District 82%

▲ 32 pts above state median

Grade 796%

School 96% · District 96%

▲ 44 pts above state median

Grade 890%

School 90% · District 90%

▲ 36 pts above state median

Science

Grade 545%

School 45% · District 45%

▲ 8 pts above state median

Grade 863%

School 63% · District 63%

▲ 24 pts above state median

This schoolGiant City CCSD 130, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income40%Higher-income73%33 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income58%Higher-income75%17 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income50%Higher-income89%39 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income10%Higher-income36%26 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income33%Higher-income63%29 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income10%Higher-income83%73 pp gap