Mark W Bills Middle School, Peoria IL

Original Research by School Decision on Mark W Bills Middle School

Mark W Bills Middle School serves grades 5 through 8 in Peoria, Illinois, as part of Peoria School District 150. The school enrolls a small cohort of about 260 students, with roughly equal distribution across the four grades. The student body is predominantly Black, with meaningful representation of white, multiracial, and Hispanic students; Asian and Native American enrollment are minimal. Data on free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility and special populations were not available.

State assessment results from the 2024-25 school year show proficiency across math, English language arts, and science on Illinois assessments. Math proficiency varies considerably by grade: students in 5th grade math reached a moderate proficiency rate, while 6th, 7th, and 8th grade math proficiency all decline sharply, with 8th grade at the lowest point. English language arts proficiency is higher than math in most grades, peaking in 5th grade and staying above math at higher grade levels, though 8th grade ELA also drops. Science proficiency in 5th grade is modest, and 8th grade science is similar. Participation in testing was strong across grades and subjects, exceeding 95 percent in most instances. It is important to note that Illinois changed its proficiency cut scores in 2024-25, which affects the direct comparability of these results to prior years.

Across the county's school districts, Mark W Bills sits in the bottom quartile on overall proficiency, with an average proficiency index well below the county median. A parent may want to look into the school's instructional strategies and support systems with staff directly, as these results suggest sustained challenges in math and a reading foundation that would affect later success. The district itself is undertaking a significant shift: in April 2026, the school board approved a nearly [multi-million dollar] overhaul of K-5 reading curriculum, moving to science-of-reading aligned programs with explicit phonics instruction. This is a direct response to the fact that roughly half of 3rd through 8th graders were not reading at grade level according to recent state data. While Mark W Bills serves grades 5-8 and will receive the 5th grade portion of this new curriculum, the broader district literacy initiative reflects leadership awareness of the reading challenge and investment in improvement.

The school is located in North Peoria at 6001 N Frostwood Parkway, a neighborhood with newer residential subdivisions and modern amenities. Peoria itself is a mid-sized Illinois city undergoing selective redevelopment. Downtown and the Warehouse District have been rebuilt with complete streets infrastructure to support walkability, dining, and mixed-use housing, while neighborhoods like West Bluff maintain historic Victorian character and Main Street retail. Much of the city remains car-dependent. Major employers include healthcare systems and Caterpillar, the heavy machinery maker. The housing market shows modest affordability relative to national benchmarks, with home values and rental rates both accessible compared to many markets. The area is in a slow-growth, redevelopment-focused cycle rather than a building boom; recent housing projects concentrate on adaptive reuse downtown and new affordable development on the South Side.

Students and families interested in this school should view it in the context of a district-wide literacy intervention underway and should ask directly about how the school will implement the new K-5 curriculum and what additional reading support is available for students currently below grade level.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 525%

School 25% · District 16% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 613%

School 13% · District 14% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 721%

School 21% · District 20% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 89%

School 9% · District 13% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 543%

School 43% · District 29% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 634%

School 34% · District 27% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 728%

School 28% · District 25% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Grade 825%

School 25% · District 35% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▼ 23 pts below county median

Science

Grade 530%

School 30% · District 18% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 821%

School 21% · District 21%

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

This schoolPeoria SD 150, 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.