The top reported proficiency rate is 55% in English language arts. The lowest is 13% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on St Elmo Jr High School
St Elmo Jr High School serves grades seven and eight in a small rural community in Fayette County, Illinois. The school sits at the northern edge of Saint Elmo, a village of modest size experiencing slow population decline, where the main economic anchor is a Conagra manufacturing facility that produces salad dressings and syrups.
The school is quite small, with enrollment in the low-to-mid range typical of its grade band in a town this size. The student body is predominantly white, with very small representation of other racial and ethnic groups. State testing participation is complete across the school. Free and reduced price lunch data was not available; special education and English learner rates were also not reported.
In English language arts, performance shows a clear grade pattern. Seventh grade proficiency sits at a solid rate, while eighth grade is moderately lower. Science results in eighth grade run near the midpoint of proficiency. Mathematics performance is notably weaker. Seventh grade math proficiency is quite low, and eighth grade math is similarly low, with only a small handful of students meeting the standard in a class of about thirty. The school's overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades places it below the midpoint when compared to other districts in Fayette County.
These results may reflect a mix of factors. The school serves a rural area with limited economic diversity, and a parent may want to look into the school's approach to mathematics instruction and whether tutoring or intervention support is available, particularly at the seventh grade level where the math gap is widest. The English language arts results suggest stronger foundational literacy but some slippage in the middle grades, which is not uncommon. Science instruction appears more successful.
The town itself is quiet and low-density, with limited walkable amenities; most residents own their homes and the population skews older. Housing values in the zip code are below both state and national medians, and affordability is reasonable. The area is accessed primarily via Interstate 70, which links residents to larger communities. The district has not undergone major strategic or tax changes in recent years, according to available public reporting.
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