The top reported proficiency rate is 57% in English language arts. The lowest is 47% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Newton Elem School
Newton Elementary School serves the early grades through sixth grade in a small, residential county-seat town in southeastern Illinois surrounded by farmland. The school is a regular public school within Jasper County Community Unit School District 1, which spans a rural area with a slowly declining population. Housing values in the Newton zip code are below both the state and national benchmarks, making it an affordable community; median home values rest well below the state average, and monthly mortgage estimates are modest. The local economy centers on county government, the school district itself, and historically on the Newton Power Station, though a scheduled retirement of one coal-fired unit by the end of 2027 signals an upcoming economic transition that the district is addressing partly through state energy transition grants.
The school enrolled a small to moderate number of students across first through sixth grade in the current school year, with a heavily homogeneous student body: the vast majority of students are white, with very small counts of students identifying as Asian, Black, Hispanic, or multiracial. Free or reduced price lunch eligibility data was not available. Special education and English learner enrollment counts were not available. The enrollment reflects the character of the broader community.
In the most recent state testing data available, academic performance shows a clear pattern of decline across grade levels in both math and English language arts. Third graders demonstrated stronger proficiency in math, while fourth through sixth graders showed substantially lower rates in both subjects. In third-grade math, about three-quarters of students met proficiency; by fourth grade that dropped to about half, and fifth and sixth graders showed less than half meeting proficiency in math. English language arts followed a similar trajectory, starting in the mid-60s in third grade and dropping to about half proficiency by sixth grade. A smaller science assessment in fifth grade showed proficiency below half. State testing cut scores were revised in 2024-25, so year-to-year trend comparison is not available from the data provided. Average scale scores and tested counts for several grades were not reported. The school's participation rate was consistently near or at full participation across tested grades, indicating strong test administration.
A parent may want to look into this further with the school: the pronounced decline in proficiency from third to upper elementary grades is a notable pattern worth understanding. Questions about instructional approaches in the middle grades, available support services, and whether specific interventions are in place for struggling students would be informative.
The district is undergoing a significant structural change. In November 2025, the Board of Education voted unanimously to build an addition at Newton Elementary to consolidate pre-kindergarten and kindergarten programs currently located at Sainte-Marie beginning in the 2027-2028 school year. This means younger students will be relocated from another campus to Newton Elementary, which could affect enrollment and school dynamics. The addition will be funded through operating reserves, sales tax reserves, working cash reserves, and state energy transition grants tied to the power plant closure, so no new tax increase or bond referendum is required. This consolidation represents a lasting change in how the district structures its youngest learners and is relevant for families considering the area or those in the Sainte-Marie attendance zone.
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