The top reported proficiency rate is 82% in Math. The lowest is 67% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Alhambra Primary School
Alhambra Primary School serves the youngest learners in a small rural village in Madison County, Illinois, at the heart of its downtown along Main Street. The school houses prekindergarten through third grade in a setting that is physically integrated into the community rather than isolated on a campus. It is part of Highland Community Unit School District 5, which spans several small towns and serves students across a wider geographic area.
The school's student body is small, with roughly a hundred and seventy-five students distributed across six grades. The enrollment is overwhelmingly white, with very few students from other racial or ethnic backgrounds. Data on free or reduced-price lunch eligibility and special education or English learner populations was not available, so a parent would want to reach out to the school directly to understand the economic composition of the student body or the level of specialized support services available.
In mathematics, third graders at Alhambra Primary showed solid proficiency on the Illinois Assessment of Readiness, with most demonstrating grade-level mastery. Performance in English language arts at third grade was lower, with roughly two-thirds of students meeting proficiency standards. All students tested participated fully in the assessments. Science proficiency data was suppressed for small group sizes, as is common in small schools. Testing data for grades four through eight is not applicable to this school because Alhambra Primary only serves through third grade; older students transition to other buildings in the district for upper-elementary, middle, and high school instruction.
Positioned against the other districts in Madison County, Alhambra Primary's overall proficiency index across tested subjects places it in the top quartile among county schools, a genuine strength. However, a parent should be aware that the school's proficiency rate in English language arts trails significantly behind mathematics, which may warrant a conversation with teachers about literacy supports and instructional approaches at the early grades.
The school sits in an economically modest setting. Housing values in the Alhambra area are below state and national medians, and rents are correspondingly lower, making housing relatively affordable compared to broader benchmarks. The village itself has seen essentially flat population over the past decade, remaining small and rural with no major new residential development. Employment is dispersed across local small businesses and service providers rather than anchored by a single large employer. The broader region offers access to jobs and services in nearby Highland and Edwardsville.
Families choosing Alhambra Primary are selecting a small, downtown-integrated school in a quiet, stable rural village where early grades remain rooted in the community rather than consolidated into a purpose-built facility away from town life. The school's stronger mathematics outcomes and top-quartile performance suggest instructional competence in that domain, though the gap in language arts suggests that families with emergent readers may want to discuss reading instruction philosophy and literacy resources directly with the school.
The district is currently undergoing facility modernization. A newly constructed Highland Primary School building serving pre-K through second grade is being developed on a 43-acre site to consolidate early learners into a modern facility and eliminate the current need for young students to travel between buildings for art, music, and physical education. This construction project, funded through a 2022 bond, signals the district's investment in early childhood infrastructure, though it will not affect Alhambra Primary's grade configuration or operation. Additionally, the district increased its property tax levy meaningfully in the 2024 levy year, a change that affects household tax bills for residents and prospective movers.
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