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Public elementary school · Prairie Central Cusd 8 · Fairbury, Illinois

Prairie Central Elem School

Prairie Central Elem School rates 5.3, above the middle of Prairie Central Cusd 8's elementary schools, whose rated median is 4.0.

Elementary schools, 1 to 10This campus against public elementary schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
5.3this school

5.3 on a one-to-ten scale; the Prairie Central Cusd 8 median is 4.0.

#2,762 of 3,814 schools in Illinois · Prairie Central Cusd 8: 3 elementary schools rated, median 4.0

The brief

A Prairie Central Cusd 8 elementary school serving grades 2nd – 4th.

Students at Prairie Central Elem School score 49% proficient, which is in line with what's typical for similar communities (expected: 49%).

It ranks 2,762 of 3,814 schools in Illinois and 4 of 6 in Prairie Central Cusd 8.

Math38%6 points below the Illinois average of 44%2025 IAR
Reading59%8 points above the Illinois average of 51%2025 IAR
In 2025, 38% of students were proficient in math and 59% in reading, against Illinois averages of 44% and 51%.2025 IAR; 47 test records from IL state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
3.2
50% of the rating
Academics
7.1
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
8.1
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 6 sources, 2019–2025

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 43% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 46% (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 IAR · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 IAR. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 IAR · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 IAR. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 61739; this does not measure the attendance area.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Prairie Central Elem School and the 20 nearest elementary schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$68,635
Median home value
$160,400
Median rent
$753/mo
College educated
21.1%
Homeownership
70.8%
Poverty rate
3.8%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 61739; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
22
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
46
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
112/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Fairbury. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Fairbury), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
44%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Prairie Central Elem School serve?

Prairie Central Elem School serves students in grades 2nd through 4th.

How many students attend Prairie Central Elem School?

Prairie Central Elem School has an enrollment of approximately 368 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Prairie Central Elem School?

The student-teacher ratio at Prairie Central Elem School is 13.1:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Prairie Central Elem School rank in IL?

Prairie Central Elem School ranks #2,762 of 3,814 schools in IL.

What is Prairie Central Elem School's MySchoolScout rating?

Prairie Central Elem School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 5.3 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Prairie Central Elem School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Prairie Central Elem School has 43% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 46% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Prairie Central Elem School a charter school?

No, Prairie Central Elem School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Prairie Central Elem School a Title I school?

No, Prairie Central Elem School is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Prairie Central Elem School?

44.0% of students at Prairie Central Elem School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
2nd – 4th
Enrollment
368
Student-teacher ratio
13.1:1
Teachers (FTE)
28
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Distant Rural
County
Livingston County
Rank in district
#4 of 6
Schools in district
6
District spending per student
$15,986
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
9.4%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 61739)
4,673
Area average commute
15.9 min
Area median age
37.3

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Illinois Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.