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IL53nUS66wSignsRoad-BraidwoodIL (40156968241)Photo: formulanone from Huntsville, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0
A−
Schools in Braidwood · Reed Custer Community Unit School District 255U

Braidwood’s public schools outscore 79% of Illinois districts

On the state reading tests, 36% of Braidwood’s students scored proficient, above the Illinois average (30%). The grade covers the public school district serving Braidwood, from kindergarten through graduation, on state tests and graduation. Each state writes its own tests, so this is the one TownRatings grade compared within Illinois, not nationally.

#165of 768 Illinois townsK–12Where will my kid go?

From Illinois state tests taken in spring 2021, when nearly all of students in the tested grades sat them, and the class of 2023’s four-year graduation rate, as reported to the U.S. Department of Education.

Reading proficiency
36%
▲ 6 pts vs IL 30%
2020–21
Math proficiency
29%
▲ 3 pts vs IL 26%
2020–21
Graduate on time
95–100%
▲ 7–12 pts vs IL 88%
class of 2023
Spent per student
$19.6K
▼ 9% vs IL $21.6K
FY2024
Students per teacher
12.1
IL 13.6 · smaller classes
Schools in town
0
1,393 students on the public path
In brief

Braidwood’s schools, in brief

Better than its incomes would predict

Among the 1427 Illinois towns with household incomes within a quarter of Braidwood’s, its schools beat 92%, higher than their 79% against all the state’s districts. The grade ↓

Above the state on both counts

Reading proficiency is 36% and math 29% in spring 2021, against 30% and 26% statewide; 95–100% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 88%. Test scores ↓

Spending and class size

The district spends $19,619 per student, against $21,567 across Illinois (FY2024). Spending doesn’t count toward the grade. Districts ↓

One elementary school, then one middle and one high school

From grade 6 the district’s path is Reed-Custer Middle School, then Reed-Custer High School. See the path ↓

Written from the figures on this page. Tests are from 2020–21, graduation from the class of 2023; each school’s own letter uses 2020–21 results.

The School Grade

What’s behind Braidwood’s grade

B+ Test scoresA Graduation

A−: better than 79% of Illinois school districts, #165 of 768 Illinois towns. Test scores and graduation are both above the Illinois average; graduation is the stronger of the two.

Illinois school districts we grade (887)Better than 79%
Lower resultsHigher results
Illinois towns with similar household incomes (1427)Better than 92%
B+AA fairly firm grade. Ordinary sampling error in 650 test results and a graduating class of 119 could put Braidwood anywhere from B+ to A. The tests are from spring 2021, when nearly all of Braidwood’s students in the tested grades sat them (620 in math, 680 in reading).

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where will my kid go?

Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Braidwood, with each school’s own grade.

The path, start to finish
PK–5Reed-Custer Elementary SchoolReed Custer Community Unit School District 255UA
6–8Reed-Custer Middle SchoolReed Custer Community Unit School District 255UB+
9–12Reed-Custer High SchoolReed Custer Community Unit School District 255UC+

Braidwood’s public schools are run by Reed Custer Community Unit School District 255U, which also serves Braceville, Custer, Diamond and Essex and others. Parts of Braidwood (11% of its land) are served by Coal City Community Unit School District 1 instead. To confirm the school for a specific address, ask the district.

The district

Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.

Reed Custer Community Unit School District 255UGrades PK–12 · 3 schools · 1,393 students, up 4% since 2020–21 · 12.1 per teacher (IL 13.6)
$19,619IL $21,567 · FY2024
A−
Test scores · 2020–21

Well above the state in reading

Reading36%
State average 29.9% · 680 students tested
Math29%
State average 25.8% · 620 students tested

Braidwood vs. its neighbors

Schools grades for the Illinois towns that share Braidwood’s borders.

Schools next door
TownSchoolsMain districts
BraidwoodA−Reed Custer Community Unit School District 255U
DiamondACoal City Community Unit School District 1 PK–12 · Reed Custer Community Unit School District 255U PK–12
Braceville—Reed Custer Community Unit School District 255U PK–12 · Braceville School District 75 PK–8 · Gardner-South Wilmington Township High 9–12
Coal CityACoal City Community Unit School District 1
ReedA−Reed Custer Community Unit School District 255U

3 of the 4 neighbors share Reed Custer Community Unit School District 255U with Braidwood, so their letters differ mainly through other districts.

Every school in Braidwood

3 schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Illinois’s other public schools (the newest school-level results we have).

Also serving Braidwoodin other towns
Reed-Custer Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–5
A
690 students13:1Rate it →
Reed-Custer Middle School
Middle · Grades 6–8
B+
306 students11:1Rate it →
Reed-Custer High School
High · Grades 9–12
C+
397 students12:1Rate it →

Questions about Braidwood’s schools

Are Braidwood’s schools good?

By Illinois’s own tests, yes: the public schools Braidwood children attend outscore 79% of Illinois’s school districts on tests and graduation, an A− Schools grade, #165 of 768 Illinois towns. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 92%. Tests are from 2020–21, graduation from the class of 2023.

What school district is Braidwood in?

Reed Custer Community Unit School District 255U, which runs grades PK–12 and enrolls 1,393 students in 3 schools (2024–25). Small parts of Braidwood are served by Coal City Community Unit School District 1.

Where do Braidwood kids go to high school?

Reed-Custer High School, with 397 students; its own test results earn a C+.

What is Braidwood’s graduation rate?

95–100% of the class of 2023 in Reed Custer Community Unit School District 255U graduated in four years, against 88% across Illinois.

How much does Braidwood spend per student?

$19,619 in Reed Custer Community Unit School District 255U (FY2024), against $21,567 across Illinois. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.

Parents talk

What Braidwood families are saying about school.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Looking for colleges? Colleges near Braidwood → They have their own page.

School data: state test results (2020–21, with participation) and four-year graduation rates (class of 2023) reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express); each school’s own letter uses its 2020–21 results (EDFacts via the Urban Institute); schools and enrollment from NCES (2024–25; private schools 2023–24); spending from the Census Bureau’s school finance survey (FY2024). The School Grade is our own summary, graded within Illinois. Stars are from neighbors.