Charleston CUSD 1 School District

410 W Polk Ave
Charleston, IL 61920-2557
(District boundaries shown in map)
3/
10
Bottom 50%

Top Rankings

Charleston CUSD 1 School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in Illinois for:

Category
Attribute
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 6 public schools serving 2,652 students in Charleston CUSD 1 School District. This district's average testing ranking is 3/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public schools in Illinois.
Public Schools in Charleston CUSD 1 School District have an average math proficiency score of 14% (versus the Illinois public school average of 26%), and reading proficiency score of 21% (versus the 30% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 21% of the student body (majority Black and Hispanic), which is less than the Illinois public school average of 56% (majority Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (IL)
# Schools
6 Schools
4,399 Schools
# Students
2,652 Students
1,881,773 Students
# Teachers
176 Teachers
136,664 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
15:1
15:1

District Rank

Charleston CUSD 1 School District, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 844 school districts in Illinois (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2020-2021 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 75% has decreased from 85% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (IL)
#659 out of 852 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
This chart displays the overall district rank of Charleston CUSD 1  School District, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
(20-21)
14%
28%
This chart displays the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of Charleston CUSD 1  School District and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of Illinois by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
21%
30%
This chart displays the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of Charleston CUSD 1  School District and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of Illinois by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
55%
50%
75%
87%
This chart displays public school graduation rate of Charleston CUSD 1  School District and public school graduation rate of Illinois by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.

Students by Ethnicity:

0.36
0.70
# American Indian Students
6 Students
4,556 Students
% American Indian Students
n/a
1%
# Asian Students
26 Students
103,630 Students
% Asian Students
1%
6%
# Hispanic Students
153 Students
517,685 Students
% Hispanic Students
6%
28%
# Black Students
176 Students
303,129 Students
% Black Students
7%
16%
# White Students
2,099 Students
837,178 Students
% White Students
79%
45%
# Hawaiian Students
2 Students
1,684 Students
% Hawaiian Students
n/a
n/a
# Two or more races Students
190 Students
78,057 Students
% of Two or more races Students
7%
4%

Students by Grade:

# Students in PK Grade:
163
79,660
# Students in K Grade:
192
120,716
# Students in 1st Grade:
194
126,380
# Students in 2nd Grade:
194
167,371
# Students in 3rd Grade:
191
130,316
# Students in 4th Grade:
188
130,337
# Students in 5th Grade:
171
129,914
# Students in 6th Grade:
183
132,189
# Students in 7th Grade:
192
135,696
# Students in 8th Grade:
203
137,626
# Students in 9th Grade:
211
149,483
# Students in 10th Grade:
183
150,499
# Students in 11th Grade:
196
146,819
# Students in 12th Grade:
191
144,755
# Ungraded Students:
-
12

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $15,558 in this school district is less than the state median of $21,990. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $14,663 is less than the state median of $21,244. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
This School District
This State (IL)
Total Revenue
$41 MM
$41,381 MM
This chart displays total revenue of Charleston CUSD 1  School District and median value from total revenues of all school districts in Illinois by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Spending
$39 MM
$39,976 MM
This chart displays total spending of Charleston CUSD 1  School District and median value from total spendings of all school districts in Illinois by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Revenue / Student
$15,558
$21,990
This chart displays average revenue per public school student in Charleston CUSD 1  School District and average revenue per public school student of all school districts in Illinois by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Spending / Student
$14,663
$21,244
This chart displays average spending per public school student in Charleston CUSD 1  School District and average spending per public school student of all school districts in Illinois by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.

Best Charleston CUSD 1 School District Public Schools (2025)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Charleston High School
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
1615 Lincoln Ave
Charleston, IL 61920
(217) 639-5000
Grades: 9-12
| 780 students
Rank: #22.
Carl Sandburg Elementary School
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
1924 Reynolds Dr
Charleston, IL 61920
(217) 639-4000
Grades: K-3
| 537 students
Rank: #33.
Charleston Middle School
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
920 Smith Dr
Charleston, IL 61920
(217) 639-6000
Grades: 7-8
| 395 students
Rank: #44.
Ashmore Elementary School
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
313 S Ohio St
Ashmore, IL 61912
(217) 349-3000
Grades: K-4
| 72 students
Rank: #55.
Jefferson Elementary School
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
801 Jefferson Ave
Charleston, IL 61920
(217) 639-7000
Grades: 4-6
| 663 students
Rank: n/an/a
1021 13th St
Charleston, IL 61920
(217) 639-8000
Grades: PK-K
| 205 students

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools belong to Charleston CUSD 1 School District?
Charleston CUSD 1 School District manages 6 public schools serving 2,652 students.
What is the rank of Charleston CUSD 1 School District?
Charleston CUSD 1 School District is ranked #646 out of 844 school districts in Illinois (bottom 50%) based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data for the 2020-2021 school year. This district ranks in the top 20% of Illinois school districts for: Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
What is the racial composition of students in Charleston CUSD 1 School District?
79% of Charleston CUSD 1 School District students are White, 7% of students are Black, 7% of students are Two or more races, 6% of students are Hispanic, and 1% of students are Asian.
What is the student/teacher ratio of Charleston CUSD 1 School District?
Charleston CUSD 1 School District has a student/teacher ratio of 15:1, which is higher than the Illinois state average of 14:1.
What is Charleston CUSD 1 School District's spending/student ratio?
The school district's spending/student of $14,663 is less than the state median of $21,244. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.

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Quick Stats (2025)

  • District size: 6 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 2,652 students
  • Student:Teacher Ratio: 15:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 21%
  • : 75% (Btm 50% in IL)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 14% (Btm 50%)
  • : 21% (Btm 50%)
  • : 55% (Top 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), IL Dept. of Education

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