$35,000 Tax Burden Per Student For Zero Proficiency Reading In 24 Illinois Schools

Illinois has 24 schools where not a single child can read at grade level, even though taxpayers are spending $20,000 to $35,000 each year per student.

The proficiency rates are based on data from the Illinois State Board of Education’s (ISBE) 2024 Report Card.

According to a Wirepoints analysis of the 24 Illinois schools that have zero students testing proficient in reading in 2024 -

18 are located in Chicago, with the remaining six located outside of the city.
The data comes from standardized tests like the IAR and the SAT
This is an increase in the number of schools where children cannot read at grade level from 2019 when there were 21 schools - so the educational system appears to be getting worse, not better.
Despite the zero proficiency rate - some schools still have high graduation rates raising questions about school accountability.