The top reported proficiency rate is 69% in English language arts. The lowest is 38% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Mayo Middle School
Mayo Middle School serves about a middle-range enrollment of students in grades six through eight in Paris, a small county seat in east-central Illinois. The school's student body is predominantly white, with small shares of Hispanic and Black students and no Asian or Native American enrollment.
In state testing during the most recent school year, Mayo showed a mixed academic picture. In English language arts, the school performed more strongly in seventh grade, where proficiency was substantial, while eighth grade showed solid performance and sixth grade was more moderate. Mathematics proficiency was notably lower across all tested grades, with sixth and seventh graders showing the weakest performance; eighth grade improved but remained below state benchmarks by typical measures. In science, eighth-grade proficiency was slightly less than half. When proficiency results are combined across tested subjects and grades, Mayo's overall performance places it in the top quartile among school districts in Edgar County, a positioning that reflects strength relative to its immediate regional peer group.
Testing participation was consistently strong, with near-universal engagement in math and ELA assessments and solid participation in science. This suggests the school's results are based on broad representation rather than a narrow subset of students.
Enrollment data shows the student body is small, with about a modest number of students per grade level. Free or reduced-price lunch counts and special education or English learner rates were not available, so families may want to look into those demographics directly with the school to understand economic need and language support in the building.
The school is part of Paris-Union School District 95, which has recently been shaped by significant governance challenges. A 2023 state audit identified problematic grant spending from the COVID era, leading to a corrective action plan and the departure of the superintendent in late 2023. Federal indictments of two former principals for misappropriation of pandemic funds followed in 2026. Against that backdrop, the district is now moving forward with meaningful changes: it is launching daily and extracurricular student transportation beginning the following school year, a shift that will directly affect family logistics since the district historically did not provide busing. The district's Finance and Facilities Committee has also begun advancing a capital investment plan for school buildings, as Mayo Middle School and the district's elementary schools date from the nineteen-seventies through nineteen-eighties.
Housing in the Paris area is affordable relative to state and national benchmarks. The median home value is well below the state average, and the estimated monthly mortgage payment is moderate, making the area accessible to families seeking lower housing costs in a small-town setting.
Paris itself is a small city with sparse suburban character and a walkable historic downtown anchored by a town square with shops, cafes, and civic buildings including the county courthouse and library. Major employers include automotive lighting manufacturing and health care, with enough local job density that some workers commute in from nearby Indiana. The city's population has been roughly flat or slowly declining, though it has pursued industrial recruitment and housing development in recent years.
Mayo Middle School's overall proficiency index and demonstrated strength in ELA, combined with its position as the top-performing peer in Edgar County relative to other district schools, make it a solid choice for families in the district seeking a school with documented academic engagement and results. The lower mathematics performance warrants conversation with the school about instructional support in that subject, but it should be weighed against the school's stronger showing in reading and language arts and its county-level standing.
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