Is Meridian High School a good school?

Meridian High School ranks 268 th of 697 Illinois high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Meridian High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 307 students attended Meridian High School.

What is the racial makeup of Meridian High School?

Students at Meridian High School are 91% White, 5% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

What schools feed into Meridian High School?

Meridian High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Meridian Elementary School Middle : Meridian Middle School

Meridian High School

Summary:

Meridian High School is a public high school located in Macon, Illinois, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 304 students. The school is part of the Meridian CUSD 15 district, which is ranked 407 out of 813 districts in Illinois and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

One of Meridian High School's key strengths is its consistently high four-year graduation rates, ranging from 86.7% to 97.3% over the past five years, which is notably higher than the nearby Warrensburg-Latham High School at 89.5% and Sangamon Valley High School at 88.2%. However, the school has experienced higher chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 21.6% to 35.0%, which is an area of concern. Academically, Meridian High School's performance on standardized tests, such as the SAT and Illinois Science Assessment (ISA), is generally lower than the state averages, with proficiency rates in SAT Mathematics (20%) and SAT English Language Arts (27.1%) below the state averages of 26.1% and 31.1%, respectively. Interestingly, the school's ISA Science proficiency rate of 60.6% was higher than the state average of 53.2%.

Meridian High School has a relatively high percentage of low socioeconomic status (SES) students, with 33.88% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, which is higher than the nearby Warrensburg-Latham High School (36.67%) and Sangamon Valley High School (52.78%), but lower than the more urban schools like MacArthur High School (66.97%) and Eisenhower High School (73.23%). The school's statewide ranking has fluctuated over the years, suggesting inconsistent performance, and it generally performs better than the lower-ranked schools in the area but lags behind the higher-performing schools.

Detail:

Public 9-12

728 S Wall St
Macon, IL 62544-4380

(217) 764-5233

District: Meridian CUSD 15

SchoolDigger Rank:
268^th of 697 Illinois High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,438

Feeder schools for Meridian High School:

Elementary:	Meridian Elementary School
Middle:	Meridian Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.2

Number of students: 307

Racial breakdown:

White:

91.2%

Hispanic:

4.9%

Two or more races:

2.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 36.5%

See top rated Illinois high schools

Compare Meridian High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Meridian High School ranks better than 61.5% of high schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 54.32. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Meridian High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (91.2%), Hispanic (4.9%), two or more races (2.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 36.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Meridian High School is 13.2. (See more...)

Compare Meridian High School employs 23.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Meridian High School is $12,438.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Meridian High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Meridian High School 268^th of 697 Illinois public high schools. (See Meridian High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Meridian CUSD 15:

SchoolDigger ranks Meridian CUSD 15 407^th of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Meridian High School

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Rank History for all students at Meridian High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	65.03	207^th	586	64.7%
2004	75.15	123^rd	592	79.2%
2005	55.37	300^th	590	49.2%
2006	71.33	159^th	596	73.3%
2007	35.94	446^th	612	27.1%
2008	62.97	252^nd	624	59.6%
2009	57.60	293^rd	632	53.6%
2010	45.60	421^st	643	34.5%
2011	59.77	298^th	655	54.5%
2012	53.87	353^rd	665	46.9%
2013	53.71	349^th	670	47.9%
2014	50.56	362^nd	670	46.0%
2015	40.13	345^th	614	43.8%
2016	22.82	514^th	643	20.1%
2017	66.74	178^th	642	72.3%
2018	43.28	379^th	647	41.4%
2019	51.54	314^th	701	55.2%
2021	53.49	269^th	688	60.9%
2022	39.17	433^rd	699	38.1%
2023	46.80	369^th	699	47.2%
2024	54.32	268^th	697	61.5%

See the entire list of Illinois High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Meridian High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	35.56	399^th	585	31.8%
2019	30.11	462^nd	639	27.7%
2021	81.94	76^th	611	87.6%
2022	44.54	334^th	626	46.6%
2023	40.86	385^th	644	40.2%
2024	88.89	50^th	639	92.2%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Meridian High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	37.06	405^th	620	34.7%
2019	61.81	226^th	665	66.0%
2021	69.39	170^th	639	73.4%
2022	42.64	380^th	658	42.2%
2023	43.22	375^th	656	42.8%
2024	51.59	279^th	664	58.0%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Meridian High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	48.68	318^th	619	48.6%
2019	37.73	426^th	675	36.9%
2021	38.72	376^th	653	42.4%
2022	34.77	441^st	664	33.6%
2023	48.35	326^th	668	51.2%
2024	54.69	251^st	668	62.4%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Meridian High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	29.66	409^th	548	25.4%
2019	30.95	380^th	552	31.2%
2021	33.42	345^th	553	37.6%
2022	22.08	467^th	560	16.6%
2023	26.75	429^th	557	23.0%
2024	35.03	331^st	554	40.3%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Illinois State Board of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Illinois State Board of Education

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Enrollment information for Meridian High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1995	399	2	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	403
1996	399	2	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	403
1997	376	2	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	378
1998	343	3	0	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	348
1999	332	3	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	337
2000	335	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	335
2001	319	1	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	320
2002	314	0	1	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	317
2003	314	0	1	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	317
2004	325	0	2	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	332
2005	329	0	1	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	333
2006	332	0	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	335
2007	338	0	4	3	0	n/a	n/a	3	348
2008	320	3	4	2	0	n/a	n/a	4	333
2009	325	1	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	5	334
2010	323	2	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	8	336
2011	298	2	1	2	0	0	37	0	340
2012	320	1	1	3	0	1	13	0	339
2013	326	2	0	1	0	0	15	0	344
2014	328	0	1	2	0	0	10	0	341
2015	303	1	0	2	0	0	6	0	312
2016	291	1	0	3	0	0	5	0	300
2017	258	1	0	6	0	0	4	0	269
2018	254	2	0	5	0	0	2	0	263
2019	247	2	1	7	0	0	2	0	259
2020	250	2	1	8	0	0	3	0	264
2021	277	2	0	6	0	0	10	0	295
2022	285	5	1	10	0	0	9	0	310
2023	282	2	1	11	0	0	8	0	304
2024	280	2	1	15	1	0	8	0	307

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Meridian High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1995	403	25.0	16.1	n/a
1996	403	25.0	16.1	n/a
1997	378	24.0	15.8	n/a
1998	348	23.0	15.1	n/a
1999	337	24.0	14.0	n/a
2000	335	22.0	15.2	n/a
2001	320	22.0	14.5	n/a
2002	317	22.4	14.2	11
2003	317	22.4	14.2	11
2004	332	19.0	17.5	13
2005	333	20.1	16.6	12.3
2006	335	20.3	16.5	13.4
2007	348	23.0	15.1	18
2008	333	20.0	16.7	19.1
2009	334	20.9	16.0	21
2010	336	21.3	15.7	24.4
2011	340	20.4	16.6	25.6
2012	339	20.0	16.9	29.8
2013	344	20.0	17.2	30.2
2014	341	18.0	18.9	35.5
2015	312	21.0	14.8	36.5
2016	300	19.0	15.7	30
2017	269	20.5	13.1	31.2
2018	263	20.7	12.6	26.6
2019	259	21.0	12.3	26.6
2020	264	21.0	12.5	28.4
2021	295	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	310	22.0	14.0	26.5
2023	304	19.9	15.2	33.9
2024	307	23.2	13.2	36.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Meridian High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1995	403	25.0	16.1	n/a
1996	403	25.0	16.1	n/a
1997	378	24.0	15.8	n/a
1998	348	23.0	15.1	n/a
1999	337	24.0	14.0	n/a
2000	335	22.0	15.2	n/a
2001	320	22.0	14.5	n/a
2002	317	22.4	14.2	11
2003	317	22.4	14.2	11
2004	332	19.0	17.5	13
2005	333	20.1	16.6	12.3
2006	335	20.3	16.5	13.4
2007	348	23.0	15.1	18
2008	333	20.0	16.7	19.1
2009	334	20.9	16.0	21
2010	336	21.3	15.7	24.4
2011	340	20.4	16.6	25.6
2012	339	20.0	16.9	29.8
2013	344	20.0	17.2	30.2
2014	341	18.0	18.9	35.5
2015	312	21.0	14.8	36.5
2016	300	19.0	15.7	30
2017	269	20.5	13.1	31.2
2018	263	20.7	12.6	26.6
2019	259	21.0	12.3	26.6
2020	264	21.0	12.5	28.4
2021	295	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	310	22.0	14.0	26.5
2023	304	19.9	15.2	33.9
2024	307	23.2	13.2	36.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

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