Shirland C C School, Shirland IL

Original Research by School Decision on Shirland C C School

Shirland Community Consolidated School is a small K–8 school in a rural unincorporated township northwest of Rockford. Enrollment sits at just over one hundred students, arranged across kindergarten through eighth grade. The student body is predominantly white, with a small Hispanic population and minimal representation of other racial and ethnic groups. Free-or-reduced-price lunch data was not available, so a reader cannot assess economic need directly from the enrollment record.

The school's most recent state assessment results show a mixed academic profile that warrants close attention. In English language arts, performance is strong in grades 3, 4, 5, and 6, with middle school (grades 6 and 8) reaching proficiency benchmarks across all tested students. Grade 3 ELA is softer, and data for grade 7 was not reported. In mathematics, third grade performs well, and eighth grade is solid. The concern sits in the middle grades. Fourth and fifth grade math proficiency declines noticeably from third grade, and sixth grade math shows the weakest results of any grade tested. Science results (tested in grades 5 and 8) show modest performance in both grades. These patterns suggest students may encounter difficulty with problem-solving and concept retention as material grows more abstract in the upper elementary years.

Across tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency rate places it in the top quartile among districts in Winnebago County. That said, the grade-to-grade fluctuation and the drop-off through the middle elementary years merit inquiry. A parent might want to ask the school directly about how math instruction evolves from grade to grade, whether there have been staffing or curriculum changes in the fourth and fifth grade classrooms, and what support exists for students who fall short of proficiency benchmarks.

Shirland itself is a quiet, dispersed rural settlement with very low population density, dominated by agricultural land and river corridors. The township's population has declined modestly over the past decade. The school serves as the community's primary civic institution. Students who complete eighth grade transition to Hononegah Community High School in nearby Rockton, roughly seven miles away, which sits in a region experiencing growth driven by new housing construction in Rockton and South Beloit rather than in Shirland.

A recent and relevant context for families: in March of this year, Winnebago County voters rejected a school facilities sales tax referendum. For Shirland, that means the district will continue to fund building maintenance and improvements through property tax revenue alone, rather than receiving an estimated infusion from the county. The superintendent has cited aging HVAC and water heater equipment as needs. Parents considering the school should factor in that facility upgrades may proceed more slowly than they might in districts with additional revenue.

The district also opted out of teaching Illinois' newly adopted state sex education curriculum. Starting in grade 3, the state standards include comprehensive lessons; Shirland has chosen not to teach that material. This is a deliberate curricular decision reflecting the community's values and something a parent should verify aligns with their own expectations.

The school is small enough that class composition and peer relationships will be tight and visible. It offers a traditional K–8 structure in a rural setting, which means a quieter, lower-diversity environment than larger suburban or urban schools, with limited program breadth compared to bigger districts.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 382%

School 82% · District 82%

▲ 36 pts above state median · ▲ 49 pts above county median

Grade 455%

School 55% · District 55%

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 30 pts above county median

Grade 546%

School 46% · District 46%

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

Grade 633%

School 33% · District 33%

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Grade 873%

School 73% · District 73%

▲ 50 pts above state median · ▲ 56 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 364%

School 64% · District 64%

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

Grade 475%

School 75% · District 75%

▲ 27 pts above state median · ▲ 39 pts above county median

Grade 573%

School 73% · District 73%

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 31 pts above county median

Grade 6100%

School 100% · District 100%

▲ 50 pts above state median · ▲ 57 pts above county median

Grade 8100%

School 100% · District 100%

▲ 47 pts above state median · ▲ 56 pts above county median

Science

Grade 564%

School 64% · District 64%

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

Grade 864%

School 64% · District 64%

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

This schoolShirland CCSD 134, 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.