schoolsbycounty

Clay County Schools & Education

School Score

18/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

81.8%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

81.8%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 88.8%

Per-Pupil Spending

$6,365

National avg $13,239

State avg $9,250

School Score

18/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 63/100

State Score Position

#102

of 102 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Clay County

Measured School Summary

Clay County faces educational challenges with a school score of 18/100 and a graduation rate of 81.8%, falling below typical benchmarks.

Funding Context

At $6,365 per pupil, Clay County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 71% below the Illinois average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 7.0 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 31% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Clay 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

18/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #102 of 102 Illinois counties with school score data.

Completion

81.8%

7.0 pts below the state average

Funding context

$6,365

$2,885 below the state average

School coverage

8

3 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

The county-level signal is lower, so review individual schools and local records before interpreting the score. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Clay 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 Clay 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.

Review-carefully county

Clay County has a lower measured county-level school signal. Use the school table to look for specific districts or grade bands that may differ from the county average.

State position

#102

of 102 Illinois counties with school score data. The county score is 45 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.

Flora CUSD 35

Elementary to high school visible

1,345 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 1Other 0

3 listed schools in this county slice.

North Clay CUSD 25

Elementary and high visible

570 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 1Other 0

2 listed schools in this county slice.

Clay City CUSD 10

Elementary to high school visible

269 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 1Other 0

3 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Clay City CUSD 10 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 Clay County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Clay 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 Clay 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.

Lean Rural School Infrastructure

Clay County operates 8 public schools for 2,184 students, overseen by 3 primary school districts. The infrastructure consists of 3 elementary, 2 middle, and 3 high schools.

Flora CUSD Drives County Enrollment

Flora CUSD 35 serves as the major educational provider, enrolling 1,345 students across three schools. The county relies entirely on traditional public schools, with no charter school alternatives available.

Primarily Rural and Moderate in Size

Six of the county's eight schools are located in rural areas, maintaining an average size of 273 students. Flora Elementary is the largest single campus with 681 students, while most other schools are much smaller.

School Overview

Total Schools

8

in Clay County

Reported Enrollment

2,184

8 schools reporting

School Districts

3

districts

Charter Schools

0

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary3
Middle2
High3
Other0

3 School Districts in Clay County

Flora CUSD 35

3 schools
1,345 students

North Clay CUSD 25

2 schools
570 students

Clay City CUSD 10

3 schools
269 students

8 Public Schools in Clay 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

Flora Elementary School

Flora CUSD 35

Flora, 62839 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–5Primary681 students

North Clay Elem/Jr High Sch

North Clay CUSD 25

Louisville, 62858 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–8Primary392 students

Flora High School

Flora CUSD 35

Flora, 62839 / Town: Remote

Record9–12High375 students

Floyd Henson Jr High Sch

Flora CUSD 35

Flora, 62839 / Town: Remote

Record6–8Middle289 students

North Clay Community High School

North Clay CUSD 25

Louisville, 62858 / Rural: Distant

Record9–12High178 students

Clay City Elem School

Clay City CUSD 10

Clay City, 62824 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary130 students

Clay City High School

Clay City CUSD 10

Clay City, 62824 / Rural: Distant

Record9–12High78 students

Clay City Jr High School

Clay City CUSD 10

Clay City, 62824 / Rural: Distant

Record6–8Middle61 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$6,365

State avg $9,250

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Clay 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 Clay County?
Clay County has a school score of 18/100, which is a lower 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 Clay County?
The high school graduation rate in Clay County is 81.8%, 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 Clay County spend per student?
Clay County spends $6,365 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 Clay County, Illinois — FAQ

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

Clay County operates 8 public schools for 2,184 students, overseen by 3 primary school districts. The infrastructure consists of 3 elementary, 2 middle, and 3 high schools.

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

Flora CUSD 35 serves as the major educational provider, enrolling 1,345 students across three schools. The county relies entirely on traditional public schools, with no charter school alternatives available.

What is the school experience like in Clay County?

Six of the county's eight schools are located in rural areas, maintaining an average size of 273 students. Flora Elementary is the largest single campus with 681 students, while most other schools are much smaller.

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.