The top reported proficiency rate is 45% in English language arts. The lowest is 37% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on New Central Elem School
New Central Elementary School is a small public school serving kindergarten through fourth grade in Havana, a county-seat town in Mason County, Illinois. The school sits in a place where residential neighborhoods of older homes surround a compact historic downtown, centered on the courthouse and anchored by a recently renovated riverfront district. The school's own enrollment reflects this setting: it draws from a town that is predominantly white and serves a student body that is substantially white, with a smaller share of Hispanic and multiracial students. The enrollment is small for its grade band, with particularly full enrollment in second grade and smaller classes at both the kindergarten and fourth-grade levels.
On state assessment results, New Central shows middling proficiency. In third-grade English language arts, around half of students were proficient or above; in third-grade math, the figure was lower, near two in five. Fourth-grade proficiency was slightly below third grade in both subjects. These results position the school below the midpoint when compared to other districts in Mason County on overall proficiency. The testing data available reflects only grades three and four; no results appear for the lower grades, which is typical since kindergarten through second grade are not assessed under Illinois's state testing regime. Grade five and above data do not appear because the school only serves through fourth grade.
The broader context around New Central is a small-town setting with flat population dynamics. Havana's population has remained essentially stable in recent years, and the county population is similarly unchanged to slightly declining. The notable local story is not housing growth but downtown redevelopment: a five-year revitalization that began a few years ago has restored historic facades and converted upper floors into short-term rental lofts. The school district itself operates three schools and serves a population of roughly that scale, with the district brief noting stable structure and routine board activity but no major referendum, curriculum overhaul, or property-tax shift confirmed in available sources.
Housing values in the Havana area are moderate compared to state and national benchmarks. The estimated median home price sits below the state average and well below the national benchmark, making the market relatively affordable. Monthly mortgage estimates for a typical home run in the low hundreds of dollars at current rates, a figure that may appeal to families seeking lower housing costs. The local economy relies on health care, public administration, and retail, with most residents working within the county.
New Central is a standard neighborhood public school, not a charter, magnet, or specialized program. No data was available on free and reduced price lunch participation, special education rates, English learner enrollment, or chronic absenteeism, so a complete picture of economic need or program demand is not available. The school operates under Havana CUSD 126 and shares the town with two other schools in the district. Given the size of both the school and the community, this is a very local institution where families likely know staff and neighbors mix easily; the "everybody knows everybody" character of the town extends into the school.
A parent considering New Central should understand that this is an early elementary school in a small, stable, car-dependent rural town where downtown life has been revitalized in recent years but population and employment have not grown. The school's test results show room for improvement, particularly in math. The student body is racially homogeneous. For families drawn to small schools, town life, and lower housing costs, and willing to accept state assessment results that suggest the need for academic intervention, New Central fits a clear profile.
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