The top reported proficiency rate is 40% in English language arts. The lowest is 22% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Lowpoint-washburn Jr Sr High Sch
Lowpoint-Washburn Jr Sr High School is a small school serving grades six through twelve in a rural village setting in north-central Illinois. The school enrolls roughly a hundred and fifty students across seven grade levels, with the middle grades slightly larger and the high school grades smaller. The student body is overwhelmingly white, and data on free-or-reduced-price lunch rates was not available.
The school sits within the village of Washburn, a small agricultural community experiencing long-term population decline. Housing in the area is largely pre-World War II stock, and the workforce is predominantly blue-collar. The village itself has few large employers; many residents commute to the Peoria area for work. The school building shares its address with the district office and the middle school, all situated along the main route through town near civic anchors like the public library and village parks.
State testing results show academic performance that warrants attention. In math, proficiency across tested grades is notably low: Grade 6 and Grade 8 each show proficiency in the low range, while Grade 7 performs somewhat better. In English language arts, Grade 6 and Grade 7 show proficiency near or above forty percent, but Grade 8 drops into the mid-thirties. Grade 8 science proficiency aligns with the low math and ELA results for that grade. Across the school's tested grades and subjects, overall proficiency is below the median among Woodford County school districts.
Testing data for the earliest grades (three through five) is not available, which is typical since Illinois assesses reading and math beginning in Grade 3 but only in certain contexts. The school did participate in testing at strong rates in the grades where results appear.
Graduation rate, attendance, chronic absenteeism, and discipline data were not provided, so a reader cannot assess those dimensions of the school experience. Program information such as course offerings, career pathways, dual enrollment options, or extracurricular depth is also absent from the available data. A parent may want to contact the school or district directly to learn about course breadth, special programs, arts and athletics, and student support services.
The housing market around the school is affordable relative to state and national benchmarks, with home values below state median. This reflects both the rural setting and the community's economic status. Rents and rental-market data were not available.
For a family considering this school, the central questions center on academic progress and local fit. The testing results suggest the school is working with significant academic challenges in the middle grades, particularly in math. Without trend data or context on how recent these results are relative to prior years, it is difficult to say whether the school is improving or declining. The small enrollment size means individual teacher quality and program choices may have outsized impact. A family would benefit from asking the school about its approach to literacy and numeracy support, professional development in these areas, and any initiatives underway to raise achievement in middle grades math.
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