The top reported proficiency rate is 26% in Science. The lowest is 15% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Mulberry Grove Jr High School
Mulberry Grove Jr High School serves grades six through eight in a small rural village in Bond County, Illinois. The school sits at the center of its one-square-mile community, integrated into village life rather than isolated on a separate campus. The enrollment is small, with grade splits of roughly twenty-three to twenty-seven students per year, for a total enrollment just under seventy students across the three grades.
The student body is predominantly white, with a small number of students identifying as multiracial and one Black student. The school's enrollment and demographic data show minimal diversity. Information on free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility, special education enrollment, and English learner counts were not available in the public data.
State testing results from the most recent year are weak across all measured subjects. In mathematics, proficiency rates range from about one in ten in sixth grade to roughly one in five in eighth grade, with participation appearing complete. English language arts proficiency is similarly low, running from one in five in sixth and seventh grades to roughly one in three in eighth grade. Science testing showed a participation rate near complete with proficiency just above one in four for eighth grade. These results position the school below the midpoint among Bond County districts on overall proficiency. A parent may want to look into whether the school has identified underlying causes and what instructional support or intervention systems are in place.
The village itself is small and slightly declining in population. Most residents own their homes; a housing inventory search shows median home values well below the state benchmark. The downtown area has recently lost three deteriorated buildings to demolition, reflecting slower economic activity. A meat processing facility has been proposed through a 2025 special-use permit, which would bring a notable employer to the downtown core if completed. Most wage employment for residents lies in Greenville and Vandalia along Interstate 70, a short drive away. Civic life—the village hall, community park, and school—clusters within walking distance of one another.
District-level information about recent curriculum changes, capital projects, or strategic priorities proved limited in searches; no major referenda or property-tax shifts were identified in recent years. The district operates two schools, this junior high and an elementary building, on a single in-town campus.
The school remains open and operational. Neither graduation rate nor program offerings beyond core academics were documented in the available data. A parent considering this school should understand it as a small-enrollment, tight-knit rural middle school where academic proficiency is currently low and where classroom sizes are intimate. The school's response to recent weak test results and the specific supports available to students would be worth discussing directly with the principal.
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