Jefferson County Schools & Education
Jefferson County, Illinois
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
60/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Midrange Signal
Graduation Rate
86.6%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
86.6%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 88.8%
Per-Pupil Spending
$10,642
National avg $13,239
State avg $9,250
School Score
60/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 63/100
State Score Position
#57
of 102 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Jefferson County
Measured School Summary
Jefferson County performs at an average level with a school score of 60/100 and a solid graduation rate of 86.6%.
Funding Context
Jefferson County spends $10,642 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 4% below the Illinois average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 2.2 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 15% higher than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Jefferson 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
27 public schools and 15 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
60/100
Mixed county signal. Ranks #57 of 102 Illinois counties with school score data.
Completion
86.6%
2.2 pts below the state average
Funding context
$10,642
$1,392 above the state average
School coverage
27
15 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
Jefferson County has 27 public schools across 15 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.
What Jefferson 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
Jefferson 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
#57
of 102 Illinois counties with school score data. The county score is 3 points below the state average.
Data confidence
Usable
3 of 5 county signals are present, and 93% 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.
Mount Vernon SD 80
Elementary and middle visible
1,509 students
4 listed schools in this county slice.
Mt Vernon Twp HSD 201
High school only in this slice
1,210 students
1 listed school in this county slice.
Woodlawn Unit School District 209
Elementary and high visible
491 students
2 listed schools in this county slice.
Bluford Unit School District 318
Elementary and high visible
377 students
2 listed schools in this county slice.
District reality check
Mount Vernon SD 80 is the largest listed district slice, with 4 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 Jefferson County?
Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Jefferson County district systems?
Where do students transition after the visible grade band, and is that next school inside the same district path?
If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?
Which schools are missing enrollment or ratio fields, and does the district publish a newer local profile than the NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data?
Education Overview
About Schools in Jefferson 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 Network of Rural and Town Classrooms
Jefferson County manages a decentralized education system with 27 total public schools spread across 15 different districts. This infrastructure supports 5,435 students through 14 elementary schools, 7 high schools, and 2 middle schools. The presence of 15 districts for a modest student population reflects a highly localized approach to education.
Mount Vernon Leads the County Districts
Mount Vernon SD 80 stands as the primary provider in the area, serving 1,509 students across four schools. There are currently no charter schools operating within the county's 15 districts. Bluford Unit School District 318 also plays a key role, managing education for 377 students.
Quiet Campuses and Close-Knit Communities
Education here is primarily rural, with 17 schools in rural settings and 10 in town locales. The average school size is relatively small at 259 students, though Mount Vernon High School serves a much larger cohort of 1,210 students. At the smaller end, schools like Woodlawn Grade School offer a more intimate environment with just 315 students.
School Overview
Total Schools
27
in Jefferson County
Reported Enrollment
5,435
25 schools reporting
School Districts
15
districts
Charter Schools
0
0% of total
School Level Breakdown
15 School Districts in Jefferson County
Mount Vernon SD 80
Mt Vernon Twp HSD 201
Woodlawn Unit School District 209
Bluford Unit School District 318
Rome CCSD 2
Waltonville CUSD 1
Summersville SD 79
Field CCSD 3
Spring Garden CCSD 178
Bethel SD 82
27 Public Schools in Jefferson County
Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 1 high-enrollment school; every NCES public school remains listed here.
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataLevel
Showing 20 of 27 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Vernon High School | Profile | Mt Vernon Twp HSD 201 | Mount Vernon, 62864Rural: Fringe | 9–12 | High | 1,210 |
| Dr Nick Osborne Primary Center | Record | Mount Vernon SD 80 | Mount Vernon, 62864Town: Distant | KG–3 | Primary | 600 |
| Zadok Casey Middle School | Record | Mount Vernon SD 80 | Mount Vernon, 62864Town: Distant | 6–8 | Middle | 419 |
| Rome Comm Cons Elem School | Record | Rome CCSD 2 | Dix, 62830Rural: Distant | PK–8 | Primary | 330 |
| Woodlawn Grade School | Record | Woodlawn Unit School District 209 | Woodlawn, 62898Rural: Distant | PK–8 | Primary | 315 |
| J L Buford Intermediate Ed Ctr | Record | Mount Vernon SD 80 | Mount Vernon, 62864Town: Distant | 4–5 | Primary | 275 |
| Summersville Grade School | Record | Summersville SD 79 | Mount Vernon, 62864Town: Distant | PK–8 | Primary | 275 |
| Bluford Grade School | Record | Bluford Unit School District 318 | Bluford, 62814Rural: Distant | PK–8 | Primary | 249 |
| Field Elementary School | Record | Field CCSD 3 | Texico, 62889Rural: Distant | PK–8 | Primary | 235 |
| Waltonville Grade School | Record | Waltonville CUSD 1 | Waltonville, 62894Rural: Distant | PK–8 | Primary | 217 |
| Dr Andy Hall Early Educ Ctr | Record | Mount Vernon SD 80 | Mount Vernon, 62864Town: Distant | PK | Other | 215 |
| Woodlawn High School | Record | Woodlawn Unit School District 209 | Woodlawn, 62898Rural: Distant | 9–12 | High | 176 |
| Bethel Grade School | Record | Bethel SD 82 | Mount Vernon, 62864Rural: Fringe | PK–8 | Primary | 160 |
| Opdyke-Belle Rive Grade Sch | Record | Opdyke-Belle-Rive CCSD 5 | Opdyke, 62872Rural: Distant | PK–8 | Primary | 145 |
| Spring Garden Elementary School | Record | Spring Garden CCSD 178 | Mount Vernon, 62864Rural: Fringe | KG–4 | Primary | 138 |
| Webber High School | Record | Bluford Unit School District 318 | Bluford, 62814Rural: Distant | 9–12 | High | 128 |
| Spring Garden Middle School | Record | Spring Garden CCSD 178 | Ina, 62846Rural: Distant | 5–8 | Middle | 86 |
| Waltonville High School | Record | Waltonville CUSD 1 | Waltonville, 62894Rural: Distant | 9–12 | High | 86 |
| Grand Prairie Elem School | Record | Grand Prairie CCSD 6 | Centralia, 62801Rural: Distant | KG–8 | Primary | 70 |
| McClellan Elementary School | Record | McClellan CCSD 12 | Mount Vernon, 62864Rural: Fringe | KG–8 | Primary | 54 |
Mount Vernon High School
Mt Vernon Twp HSD 201
Mount Vernon, 62864 / Rural: Fringe
Dr Nick Osborne Primary Center
Mount Vernon SD 80
Mount Vernon, 62864 / Town: Distant
Zadok Casey Middle School
Mount Vernon SD 80
Mount Vernon, 62864 / Town: Distant
Woodlawn Grade School
Woodlawn Unit School District 209
Woodlawn, 62898 / Rural: Distant
J L Buford Intermediate Ed Ctr
Mount Vernon SD 80
Mount Vernon, 62864 / Town: Distant
Summersville Grade School
Summersville SD 79
Mount Vernon, 62864 / Town: Distant
Bluford Grade School
Bluford Unit School District 318
Bluford, 62814 / Rural: Distant
Waltonville Grade School
Waltonville CUSD 1
Waltonville, 62894 / Rural: Distant
Dr Andy Hall Early Educ Ctr
Mount Vernon SD 80
Mount Vernon, 62864 / Town: Distant
Woodlawn High School
Woodlawn Unit School District 209
Woodlawn, 62898 / Rural: Distant
Opdyke-Belle Rive Grade Sch
Opdyke-Belle-Rive CCSD 5
Opdyke, 62872 / Rural: Distant
Spring Garden Elementary School
Spring Garden CCSD 178
Mount Vernon, 62864 / Rural: Fringe
Webber High School
Bluford Unit School District 318
Bluford, 62814 / Rural: Distant
Spring Garden Middle School
Spring Garden CCSD 178
Ina, 62846 / Rural: Distant
Waltonville High School
Waltonville CUSD 1
Waltonville, 62894 / Rural: Distant
Grand Prairie Elem School
Grand Prairie CCSD 6
Centralia, 62801 / Rural: Distant
McClellan Elementary School
McClellan CCSD 12
Mount Vernon, 62864 / Rural: Fringe
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$10,642
State avg $9,250
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Jefferson County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.
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See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.
View SchoolsFrequently Asked Questions
Which Illinois counties have the highest graduation rates?
What is per-pupil spending like in Illinois?
How should I read the school score in Jefferson County?
What is the graduation rate in Jefferson County?
How much does Jefferson County spend per student?
Frequently Asked Questions
Schools in Jefferson County, Illinois — FAQ
What does the school system look like in Jefferson County, Illinois?
Jefferson County manages a decentralized education system with 27 total public schools spread across 15 different districts. This infrastructure supports 5,435 students through 14 elementary schools, 7 high schools, and 2 middle schools. The presence of 15 districts for a modest student population reflects a highly localized approach to education.
What are the major school districts in Jefferson County, Illinois?
Mount Vernon SD 80 stands as the primary provider in the area, serving 1,509 students across four schools. There are currently no charter schools operating within the county's 15 districts. Bluford Unit School District 318 also plays a key role, managing education for 377 students.
What is the school experience like in Jefferson County?
Education here is primarily rural, with 17 schools in rural settings and 10 in town locales. The average school size is relatively small at 259 students, though Mount Vernon High School serves a much larger cohort of 1,210 students. At the smaller end, schools like Woodlawn Grade School offer a more intimate environment with just 315 students.
Counties with Similar School Profile
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.