schoolsbycounty

Cass County Schools & Education

School Score

49/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

85.9%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

85.9%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 88.8%

Per-Pupil Spending

$8,378

National avg $13,239

State avg $9,250

School Score

49/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 63/100

State Score Position

#85

of 102 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Cass County

Measured School Summary

Cass County performs at an average level with a school score of 49/100 and a solid graduation rate of 85.9%.

Funding Context

Cass County spends $8,378 per student, which is on the lower end of adequate and may require careful resource allocation to maintain quality.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 23% below the Illinois average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 2.9 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 9% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Cass County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

8 public schools and 3 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

49/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #85 of 102 Illinois counties with school score data.

Completion

85.9%

2.9 pts below the state average

Funding context

$8,378

$872 below the state average

School coverage

8

3 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Cass County has 8 public schools across 3 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

Parent decision brief

What Cass County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Mixed school landscape

Cass County has enough school-level records to compare the local mix, but no single county metric should be treated as the answer. Use district shape, grade span, and data coverage together.

State position

#85

of 102 Illinois counties with school score data. The county score is 14 points below the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

Beardstown CUSD 15

Elementary and high visible

1,506 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 1Other 1

3 listed schools in this county slice.

A-C Central CUSD 262

Elementary to high school visible

344 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 1Other 0

3 listed schools in this county slice.

Virginia CUSD 64

Elementary and high visible

321 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 1Other 0

2 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

A-C Central CUSD 262 is the largest listed district slice, with 3 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Cass County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Cass County district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Education Overview

About Schools in Cass County, Illinois

This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.

A Small-Scale Rural Education Network

Cass County maintains a concentrated education infrastructure featuring 8 public schools managed by 3 local districts. The system serves 2,171 students across three elementary schools, one middle school, and three high schools.

Beardstown Leads Local Enrollment

Beardstown CUSD 15 acts as the county's primary educational hub, enrolling 1,506 students across three individual schools. Traditional public schools represent 100% of the county's landscape, as there are currently no charter schools in operation.

Rural Roots and Town Settings

With schools split between five rural and three town locations, students experience an intimate average school size of 271. Beardstown Jr/Sr High School stands as the largest institution with 849 students, while A-C Central Elementary serves just 148.

School Overview

Total Schools

8

in Cass County

Reported Enrollment

2,171

8 schools reporting

School Districts

3

districts

Charter Schools

0

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary3
Middle1
High3
Other1

3 School Districts in Cass County

Beardstown CUSD 15

3 schools
1,506 students

A-C Central CUSD 262

3 schools
344 students

Virginia CUSD 64

2 schools
321 students

8 Public Schools in Cass County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Every NCES public school remains listed here; no school-level profile pages are included in the current generated coverage for this county.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Level

Showing 8 of 8 matching schools

Beardstown Jr/Sr High School

Beardstown CUSD 15

Beardstown, 62618 / Town: Remote

Record5–12High849 students

Gard Elementary School

Beardstown CUSD 15

Beardstown, 62618 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–4Primary473 students

Grand Ave Sch

Beardstown CUSD 15

Beardstown, 62618 / Town: Remote

RecordPKOther184 students

Virginia Elem School

Virginia CUSD 64

Virginia, 62691 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–5Primary180 students

A-C Central Elementary School

A-C Central CUSD 262

Chandlerville, 62627 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–4Primary148 students

Virginia Jr/ Sr High School

Virginia CUSD 64

Virginia, 62691 / Rural: Remote

Record6–12High141 students

A-C Central High School

A-C Central CUSD 262

Ashland, 62612 / Rural: Distant

Record9–12High112 students

A-C Central Middle School

A-C Central CUSD 262

Ashland, 62612 / Rural: Distant

Record5–8Middle84 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$8,378

State avg $9,250

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Cass County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Illinois counties have the highest graduation rates?
Edwards County (97.0%), Hamilton County (97.0%), and Johnson County (96.3%) currently lead Illinois among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.
What is per-pupil spending like in Illinois?
Across Illinois counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $9,250. The highest current county values are Lake County ($12,962), DuPage County ($12,349), and Jo Daviess County ($12,337). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.
How should I read the school score in Cass County?
Cass County has a school score of 49/100, which is a midrange measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.
What is the graduation rate in Cass County?
The high school graduation rate in Cass County is 85.9%, which is below the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.
How much does Cass County spend per student?
Cass County spends $8,378 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools in Cass County, Illinois — FAQ

What does the school system look like in Cass County, Illinois?

Cass County maintains a concentrated education infrastructure featuring 8 public schools managed by 3 local districts. The system serves 2,171 students across three elementary schools, one middle school, and three high schools.

What are the major school districts in Cass County, Illinois?

Beardstown CUSD 15 acts as the county's primary educational hub, enrolling 1,506 students across three individual schools. Traditional public schools represent 100% of the county's landscape, as there are currently no charter schools in operation.

What is the school experience like in Cass County?

With schools split between five rural and three town locations, students experience an intimate average school size of 271. Beardstown Jr/Sr High School stands as the largest institution with 849 students, while A-C Central Elementary serves just 148.

Counties with Similar School Profile

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.