Is West Salem Grade School a good school?

West Salem Grade School ranks 421 st of 2067 Illinois elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend West Salem Grade School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 178 students attended West Salem Grade School.

What is the racial makeup of West Salem Grade School?

Students at West Salem Grade School are 98% White, 1% Hispanic, 1% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of West Salem Grade School attend?

Students who attend West Salem Grade School usually go on to attend: High : Edwards County High School

West Salem Grade School

Summary:

West Salem Grade School is a public elementary school serving 164 students in grades K-8 in West Salem, Illinois, which is part of the Edwards County CUSD 1 district. This high-performing school consistently ranks in the top 25% of Illinois elementary schools, with a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

West Salem Grade School's academic performance is particularly impressive, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics that significantly exceed the district and state averages across all grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 71% of West Salem students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 59.5% for the district and 41.2% for the state. In Mathematics, 32% of West Salem students were proficient or better, compared to 30.6% for the district and 28.4% for the state. The school also stands out for its strong performance among specific student subgroups, including female students, male students, White students, and low-socioeconomic status students, who have all been ranked in the top 5% or 25% of their respective subgroups in Illinois.

In addition to its academic excellence, West Salem Grade School has maintained relatively low chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 6.4% to 14.4% over the past few years, which is generally lower than the surrounding schools. This consistent performance and focus on equity and inclusion make West Salem Grade School a potential model for other schools in the region, and the school's strengths could lead to collaborative efforts to share best practices and improve educational outcomes across the district.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-8

105 E School St
West Salem, IL 62476-1114

(618) 456-8881

District: Edwards County CUSD 1

SchoolDigger Rank:
421^st of 2,067 Illinois Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,092

Students who attend West Salem Grade School usually attend:

High:

Edwards County High School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.9

Number of students: 178

Racial breakdown:

White:

97.8%

Hispanic:

1.1%

Two or more races:

1.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 60.7%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare West Salem Grade School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details West Salem Grade School ranks better than 79.6% of elementary schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 77.89. (See more...)

Compare Details West Salem Grade School ranks better than 73.7% of middle schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 68.67. (See more...)

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 (97.8%), Hispanic (1.1%), two or more races (1.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 60.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at West Salem Grade School is 12.9. (See more...)

Compare West Salem Grade School employs 13.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at West Salem Grade School is $13,092.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

West Salem Grade School:

SchoolDigger ranks West Salem Grade School 421^st of 2067 Illinois public elementary schools. (See West Salem Grade School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Male students:

White students:

SchoolDigger ranks West Salem Grade School 359^th of 1363 Illinois public middle schools. (See West Salem Grade School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Male students:

White students:

Edwards County CUSD 1:

SchoolDigger ranks Edwards County CUSD 1 280^th of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for West Salem Grade School

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Rank History for all elementary school students at West Salem Grade School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	44.40	1316^th	2020	34.9%
2004	51.90	1179^th	2030	41.9%
2005	38.67	1435^th	2022	29.0%
2006	61.17	1014^th	2086	51.4%
2007	62.81	950^th	2095	54.7%
2008	70.47	704^th	2092	66.3%
2009	61.37	1008^th	2120	52.5%
2010	66.46	868^th	2139	59.4%
2011	61.98	986^th	2147	54.1%
2012	63.25	954^th	2166	56.0%
2013	70.61	647^th	2167	70.1%
2014	73.14	554^th	2093	73.5%
2015	45.57	998^th	2052	51.4%
2016	73.19	491^st	2046	76.0%
2017	77.63	420^th	2044	79.5%
2018	69.81	559^th	2037	72.6%
2019	81.90	328^th	2086	84.3%
2021	70.56	500^th	1948	74.3%
2022	80.05	375^th	2082	82.0%
2023	82.55	328^th	2077	84.2%
2024	77.89	421^st	2067	79.6%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at West Salem Grade School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	67.24	398^th	1765	77.5%
2019	96.57	19^th	1816	99.0%
2022	83.89	118^th	1763	93.3%
2023	92.09	65^th	1808	96.4%

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

Rank History for elementary school Female students at West Salem Grade School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	93.35	79^th	2019	96.1%

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

Rank History for elementary school Male students at West Salem Grade School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	62.19	664^th	1972	66.3%
2019	78.44	357^th	2019	82.3%
2021	63.17	514^th	1707	69.9%
2022	70.51	504^th	1977	74.5%
2023	80.88	307^th	1984	84.5%
2024	75.49	417^th	1959	78.7%

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

Rank History for elementary school White students at West Salem Grade School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	53.05	665^th	1463	54.5%
2019	70.81	353^rd	1462	75.9%
2021	56.85	521^st	1308	60.2%
2022	64.49	444^th	1425	68.8%
2023	68.32	367^th	1419	74.1%
2024	66.22	413^th	1392	70.3%

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

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

Rank History for West Salem Grade School

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Rank History for all middle school students at West Salem Grade School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	76.73	276^th	1185	76.7%
2004	63.45	496^th	1204	58.8%
2005	32.53	872^nd	1209	27.9%
2006	49.93	757^th	1272	40.5%
2007	65.07	510^th	1287	60.4%
2008	68.55	445^th	1293	65.6%
2009	65.88	504^th	1318	61.8%
2010	64.91	529^th	1327	60.1%
2011	66.56	508^th	1344	62.2%
2012	63.38	553^rd	1365	59.5%
2013	63.48	479^th	1367	65.0%
2014	71.55	347^th	1322	73.8%
2015	59.61	424^th	1302	67.4%
2016	75.71	257^th	1294	80.1%
2017	76.46	251^st	1293	80.6%
2018	72.30	297^th	1293	77.0%
2019	76.90	262^nd	1356	80.7%
2021	57.15	426^th	1241	65.7%
2022	77.30	253^rd	1369	81.5%
2023	73.95	287^th	1367	79.0%
2024	68.67	359^th	1363	73.7%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at West Salem Grade School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2019	94.23	28^th	1217	97.7%
2022	71.25	214^th	1221	82.5%
2024	72.48	220^th	1219	82.0%

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

Rank History for middle school Female students at West Salem Grade School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	83.91	158^th	1226	87.1%
2019	83.09	172^nd	1276	86.5%
2022	75.09	261^st	1286	79.7%

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

Rank History for middle school Male students at West Salem Grade School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	46.13	611^th	1223	50.0%
2019	93.24	59^th	1296	95.4%
2021	61.61	302^nd	1048	71.2%
2022	60.81	411^th	1286	68.0%
2023	71.36	284^th	1292	78.0%
2024	76.52	237^th	1264	81.3%

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

Rank History for middle school White students at West Salem Grade School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	59.24	327^th	889	63.2%
2019	66.88	260^th	905	71.3%
2021	45.19	410^th	813	49.6%
2022	65.36	261^st	898	70.9%
2023	56.48	340^th	895	62.0%
2024	54.67	375^th	875	57.1%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary 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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for West Salem Grade School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	251	1	1	2	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	255
1989	261	1	n/a	3	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	265
1990	242	1	n/a	4	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	247
1991	232	0	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	236
1992	217	0	0	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	222
1993	210	0	1	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	215
1994	214	0	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	218
1995	220	0	4	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	224
1996	220	0	4	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	224
1997	196	0	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	199
1998	208	0	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	211
1999	219	0	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	222
2000	219	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	219
2001	210	0	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	213
2002	204	0	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	205
2003	204	0	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	205
2004	192	0	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	193
2005	202	0	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	205
2006	192	0	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	195
2007	197	1	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	1	202
2008	201	1	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	205
2009	197	1	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	200
2010	201	3	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	4	211
2011	198	3	1	3	0	0	3	0	208
2012	196	2	1	5	0	0	2	0	206
2013	196	3	1	3	0	0	3	0	206
2014	201	4	1	1	0	0	5	0	212
2015	198	2	1	1	0	0	5	0	207
2016	183	1	1	0	0	0	6	0	191
2017	180	0	1	0	0	0	5	0	186
2018	170	0	1	0	0	0	2	0	173
2019	146	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	149
2020	144	0	0	2	0	0	3	0	149
2021	160	0	0	0	0	0	5	0	165
2022	163	0	0	0	0	0	5	0	168
2023	159	0	0	2	0	0	3	0	164
2024	174	0	0	2	0	0	2	0	178

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 West Salem Grade School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	255	12.6	20.2	n/a
1989	265	13.0	20.3	n/a
1990	247	12.4	19.9	n/a
1991	236	12.4	19.0	n/a
1992	222	12.4	17.9	n/a
1993	215	12.4	17.3	n/a
1994	218	12.4	17.6	n/a
1995	224	14.0	16.0	n/a
1996	224	14.0	16.0	n/a
1997	199	14.0	14.2	n/a
1998	211	15.4	13.7	n/a
1999	222	15.0	14.8	n/a
2000	219	13.0	16.8	n/a
2001	213	13.0	16.4	n/a
2002	205	13.0	15.8	43.9
2003	205	13.0	15.8	43.9
2004	193	13.0	14.8	39.9
2005	205	12.5	16.4	40
2006	195	12.0	16.3	34.4
2007	202	13.0	15.5	36.8
2008	205	14.0	14.6	36.1
2009	200	14.0	14.3	36.5
2010	211	14.0	15.0	45.4
2011	208	14.0	14.8	44.2
2012	206	14.0	14.7	41.7
2013	206	15.8	12.9	46.6
2014	212	12.0	17.6	54.7
2015	207	14.0	14.7	52.2
2016	191	14.0	13.6	51.3
2017	186	12.7	14.5	53.2
2018	173	14.3	12.0	50.3
2019	149	14.3	10.3	49.7
2020	149	14.8	10.0	47
2021	165	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	168	14.4	11.6	50.6
2023	164	14.0	11.7	48.8
2024	178	13.7	12.9	60.7

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 West Salem Grade School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	255	12.6	20.2	n/a
1989	265	13.0	20.3	n/a
1990	247	12.4	19.9	n/a
1991	236	12.4	19.0	n/a
1992	222	12.4	17.9	n/a
1993	215	12.4	17.3	n/a
1994	218	12.4	17.6	n/a
1995	224	14.0	16.0	n/a
1996	224	14.0	16.0	n/a
1997	199	14.0	14.2	n/a
1998	211	15.4	13.7	n/a
1999	222	15.0	14.8	n/a
2000	219	13.0	16.8	n/a
2001	213	13.0	16.4	n/a
2002	205	13.0	15.8	43.9
2003	205	13.0	15.8	43.9
2004	193	13.0	14.8	39.9
2005	205	12.5	16.4	40
2006	195	12.0	16.3	34.4
2007	202	13.0	15.5	36.8
2008	205	14.0	14.6	36.1
2009	200	14.0	14.3	36.5
2010	211	14.0	15.0	45.4
2011	208	14.0	14.8	44.2
2012	206	14.0	14.7	41.7
2013	206	15.8	12.9	46.6
2014	212	12.0	17.6	54.7
2015	207	14.0	14.7	52.2
2016	191	14.0	13.6	51.3
2017	186	12.7	14.5	53.2
2018	173	14.3	12.0	50.3
2019	149	14.3	10.3	49.7
2020	149	14.8	10.0	47
2021	165	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	168	14.4	11.6	50.6
2023	164	14.0	11.7	48.8
2024	178	13.7	12.9	60.7

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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