The top reported proficiency rate is 40% in English language arts. The lowest is 21% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Zeigler-royalton Elem School
Zeigler-Royalton Elementary School serves a small enrollment of prekindergarten through fifth grade students in Mulkeytown, an unincorporated rural area in Franklin County, Illinois. The school sits on State Highway 148, a few miles outside the immediate town, in a landscape where civic life and services are dispersed across neighboring communities rather than concentrated in one place.
The student body is predominantly white, with very small representation from other groups. The school draws from a community characterized by older residents, modest household incomes, and minimal commercial activity. Population in Mulkeytown has declined in recent years, and there is no evidence of new housing development. Most residents who work commute outside the immediate area; major employers are not present locally. Families here tend to own homes, and the setting is decidedly rural and car-dependent with no walkable downtown.
Academic performance is a concern. In the most recent state testing for the grades the school serves, proficiency rates in math run low, ranging from the low teens to one-quarter of students meeting state proficiency standards. English language arts shows better results, with close to or above one-third of third and fourth graders meeting proficiency, and a higher rate in fifth grade. Science proficiency in fifth grade is below one-quarter of students. When positioned against the other districts in Franklin County, this school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile. All tested students participated in assessments, indicating good attendance and engagement with testing.
The data does not provide free-or-reduced-price-lunch counts, special education enrollment, or English learner counts, so it is not possible to characterize those populations. The school's chronic absenteeism rate was also not reported. A parent may want to ask the school directly about student support services, including how the school addresses students who are not meeting proficiency benchmarks, what interventions are in place, and whether specialized services are available for students with identified needs.
The school operates within Zeigler-Royalton CUSD 188, a small district. No recent major district changes, referendums, or curriculum initiatives were identified in available sources. The school itself is a regular public school with no charter or magnet designation. It functions as the elementary anchor for students in this rural corner of Franklin County, offering a traditional K-5 pathway within a very small, declining community.
See more original research from School Decision →