The top reported proficiency rate is 86% in English language arts. The lowest is 63% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Morton Jr High School
Morton Jr High School serves grades 7 and 8 in Morton, a growing village in Tazewell County about ten miles southeast of Peoria. The school has an enrollment of roughly five hundred students, nearly all white, with a small representation of Asian, Black, Hispanic, and multiracial students. Data on free- or reduced-price lunch eligibility and special-education enrollment were not available.
The school's most recent state assessment results show a split profile. In English language arts, seventh and eighth graders demonstrate consistent strength: about seven in ten seventh graders and roughly eight in ten eighth graders scored at proficient or above on the Illinois Assessment of Readiness. Eighth-grade science results align with that level of performance, with about seven in ten students meeting the standard. Mathematics, however, shows notable grade-level variation. Seventh-grade math proficiency hovers near three in four students, a solid result; but eighth-grade math proficiency drops to just over half of students reaching proficient or above. The participation rate across these tested subjects is very high, above ninety-five percent, suggesting engagement with the assessment itself is not a barrier. When all reported proficiency rates are averaged, the school sits in the top quartile of Tazewell County junior high and middle schools on overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. A parent may want to look into the eighth-grade math performance further with the school to understand whether that dip is part of a curriculum sequence, reflects typical transition challenges at that grade level, or signals an area where supplemental support might help.
The data sections show state assessment results only for grades that are actually taught in the school. Grade-level testing data for third through sixth grade does not apply here because Morton Jr High serves only seventh and eighth grade.
Enrollment data on free- and reduced-price lunch status and on students receiving special education or English learner services were not reported, so income levels and the scope of academic interventions remain unclear from public records.
The district is currently in the midst of structural and policy changes. Starting in July 2025, a new Executive Director of Curriculum, Instruction, Technology, and Safety consolidated oversight of those domains across all seven of the district's schools. A district technology task force has recommended an AI policy, mandatory keyboard cases for grades 7 through 12, restricted direct YouTube access, and an adjusted cell-phone policy for high school, with parents and teachers advocating for a bell-to-bell approach. A one-cent sales tax referendum for Tazewell County schools, which would affect Morton CUSD 709, will appear on the November ballot.
The school sits in Morton, a mid-sized village with a small walkable downtown along Main Street and a suburban, car-oriented character overall. The village's economy is anchored by the Nestlé/Libby's pumpkin cannery, a major employer that processes much of the world's canned pumpkin, alongside Caterpillar's Morton Distribution Center and smaller manufacturers. The village experienced steady population growth from 2020 through 2024 and has active residential development underway, including new subdivisions and senior housing. Median home sale prices in the area have climbed notably, with homes selling significantly faster than the national average, reflecting strong demand. The housing market is warm and inventory remains constrained relative to demand.
Parents choosing Morton Jr High should expect solid English language arts and science instruction with strong performance across the school population, above-average proficiency compared to peers in the county, but will want to understand how eighth-grade mathematics is supported and whether any targeted intervention exists for the group of students not yet meeting proficiency. The school operates in a community with industrial-suburban character and demographic stability, where school decisions now sit under newly consolidated district leadership navigating technology and pedagogy changes that will reshape daily classroom experience.
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