Maroa-forsyth Middle School, Maroa IL

Original Research by School Decision on Maroa-forsyth Middle School

Maroa-Forsyth Middle School serves the small rural city of Maroa in northern Macon County, teaching grades six through eight to a small enrollment drawn largely from the surrounding farming region. The school sits within the town itself, not on a separated campus, and in February 2023 moved into a newly constructed building funded by a voter-approved referendum. That new facility, adjacent to the high school, replaced an outdated former high school structure and represents a substantial infrastructure investment that families in the area experience directly.

The student body is predominantly white, with smaller populations of Asian, Black, Hispanic, and multiracial students. Specific data on free-or-reduced-price-lunch eligibility and special-education enrollment were not available in the school's reported metrics.

State test results for this school year show a mixed picture across subjects and grade levels. In English language arts, the school performed stronger: sixth graders achieved proficiency at a high rate, while eighth graders also showed strong results. Seventh-grade ELA results were solid but noticeably lower than the adjacent grades. Mathematics tells a different story. Sixth-grade math proficiency was modest, seventh-grade results fell further, and eighth-grade math proficiency remained low as well. Eighth-grade science proficiency was similarly below the midpoint. These math and science results point to areas where a parent may want to look into further with the school, particularly around instructional approaches in those subjects and what support is available to students who struggle in quantitative reasoning.

When placed against other districts in Macon County, Maroa-Forsyth's overall proficiency index sits above the midpoint among its county peers, anchored largely by the strength in English language arts. The school does not have a graduation rate to report, as it serves only middle grades.

The community housing market shows median home values below both state and national benchmarks, making homeownership relatively accessible. The town itself is compact, with a historic downtown clustered along Main Street where small businesses and civic life center, and no single dominant employer locally. Jobs for residents are often found in Decatur to the south or nearby towns, though the region retains agricultural character. Population has declined from historical peaks, and growth appears slow. These conditions shape a stable, low-cost setting where families tend to own their homes and maintain long local ties, rather than a booming or rapidly changing locale.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 646%

School 46% · District 46%

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 38 pts above county median

Grade 739%

School 39% · District 39%

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Grade 843%

School 43% · District 43%

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 35 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 683%

School 83% · District 83%

▲ 33 pts above state median · ▲ 58 pts above county median

Grade 761%

School 61% · District 61%

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

Grade 881%

School 81% · District 81%

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 40 pts above county median

Science

Grade 843%

School 43% · District 43%

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

This schoolMaroa Forsyth CUSD 2, 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.