The top reported proficiency rate is 43% in English language arts. The lowest is 27% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Tamaroa Elem School
Tamaroa Elementary School is a small K–8 public school serving the rural village of Tamaroa in Perry County, southern Illinois. The school's enrollment is small, with about 100 students spread across nine grade bands, making it an intimate setting where teachers work with a close student cohort throughout elementary and middle years.
The school's academic performance on state testing shows uneven results across grades and subjects. In grade 3, just under half the students met proficiency in math, and roughly 40 percent in English language arts. By grade 5, proficiency dropped notably—only one in five students met the math standard, though about 47 percent reached proficiency in ELA. In science, tested at grade 5, only about 27 percent of students achieved proficiency. Data for grades 4, 6, 7, and 8 were not available, either because those grades were not tested or results were not yet reported. Comparing across Perry County districts that reported proficiency data, Tamaroa's overall proficiency index falls below the midpoint, meaning the school trails county peers in the share of students meeting state standards.
The student body is almost entirely white, with very small numbers of students of other racial and ethnic backgrounds. Free and reduced lunch data and special education enrollment figures were not available in the school's public reporting. The school's location on West Main Street places it in the village center rather than on the outskirts, physically integrated into Tamaroa's small downtown.
Tamaroa is a declining rural village of roughly 500 residents, with a modest commercial footprint of about 20 local businesses. The local housing market shows median values substantially lower than the state benchmark, and mortgage costs relative to median household income are favorable by national standards. The school district reported a staff of about 20, consistent with serving a small enrollment. The district brief search found no recent referendums, curriculum initiatives, or major operational changes to report.
The school fits families seeking a small, closeknit K–8 environment in a rural setting, where their child will have strong familiarity with classmates and staff over a full nine-year span. The academic performance pattern warrants conversation with school staff about what support systems are in place for students not yet proficient, particularly as students move into middle grades. Parents may also want to investigate the testing circumstances for the grades where results were not reported.
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