Where are the best public middle schools in St. Clair County? These 6 got ‘A’ grades

Meredith Howard
·3 min read

Six public middle schools in St. Clair County received “A” grades in a 2023 Best Public Middle Schools ranking from Niche, a site offering data on schools and colleges.

Niche creates ratings based on reviews and data. Sources include the U.S. Department of Education, Common Core Data, Civil Rights Data Collection and others.

The best public middle schools ranking uses this methodology:

  • The academics grade is based on state assessments and student/parent surveys (worth 50% of overall grade)

  • The teachers grade is based on educator salary, teacher absenteeism, state test results and survey responses (20% of overall grade)

  • The district overall grade is based on “rigorous analysis of academic and student life data along with millions of reviews from students and parents,” Niche says. (15% of overall grade)

  • The culture and diversity grade is based on racial and economic diversity and survey responses (10% of overall grade)

  • Parent/teacher surveys on overall experience make up 5% of the overall grade.

Here’s how the top six public middle schools in St. Clair County compared, according to Niche:

6. Shiloh Middle School

Grades: A overall, A- academics, A teachers, A- diversity

Shiloh Middle School has 330 students in grades four to eight, Niche reports. Math proficiency is at 46%, according to state test scores, and reading proficiency is at 58%.

The institution has an 88% retention rate, the Illinois Report Card says, and a chronic absenteeism rate of 20%.

5. Amelia V. Carriel Junior High School

Grades: A overall, A- academics, A- diversity, A teachers

This O’Fallon school has 655 students from grades six to eight, according to Niche. State test scores report 47% of students are at least proficient in math, and reading proficiency is at 55%.

Carriel Junior High has a 73% retention rate and an 18% chronic absenteeism rate, the Illinois Report Card says.

4. Freeburg Elementary School

Grades: A overall, A academics, A+ teachers, C diversity

Freeburg Elementary School has 514 students in grades three through eight, Niche reports. State test scores show math proficiency is at 51% and reading proficiency is at 64%.

The institution has a 91% retention rate and an 11% chronic absenteeism rate, according to the Illinois Report Card.

3. Fulton Junior High School

Grades: A overall, A academics, A teachers, A- diversity

Fulton Junior High School is home to 620 students in grades six to eight, Niche says. The school’s math proficiency rate is 46% while the reading proficiency rate is 60%, according to state test scores.

The school has an 84% retention rate and a 15% chronic absenteeism rate, according to the Illinois Report Card.

2. Smithton Elementary School

Grades: A overall, A academics, A teachers, C diversity

Smithton Elementary School has 539 students in grades pre-K and kindergarten through eighth grade, Niche reports. The institution’s math proficiency rate is 59% and the reading proficiency rate is 63%.

The school’s retention rate is 97% and its chronic absenteeism rate is 6%, according to the Illinois Report Card.

1. Wolf Branch Middle School

Grades: A overall, A academics, A+ teachers, A- diversity

This Swansea public school has 315 students in grades five through eight, Niche says. Its math proficiency rate is 56%, while the reading proficiency rate is 65%.

Wolf Branch Middle School has an 89% retention rate and a 9% chronic absenteeism rate, according to the Illinois Report Card.