Magnolia Manor · Photo: MuZemike · CC BY-SA 3.0Cairo’s public schools score below 96% of Illinois districts on tests and graduation
On the state math tests, 2% of Cairo’s students scored proficient, below the Illinois average (26%). The grade covers the public school district serving Cairo, from kindergarten through graduation, on state tests. Each state writes its own tests, so this is the one TownRatings grade compared within Illinois, not nationally.
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.
Cairo’s schools, in brief
Results trail the state
In spring 2021, 8% of tested students were proficient in reading and 2% in math, against 30% and 26% statewide; nearly all of students in the tested grades sat the tests. The grade ↓
Spending, and where it came from
The district spent $29,585 per student in FY2024, against $21,567 across Illinois. 37% of its revenue that year was federal (Illinois 10%), in the last year of pandemic relief. Districts ↓
One elementary school, then one middle school
From grade 7 the district’s path is Cairo Jr/Sr High School. Enrollment is down 7% since 2020–21. 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.
What’s behind Cairo’s grade
D−: better than 4% of Illinois school districts. Test scores are below the Illinois average; there is no graduation rate to add.
Where will my kid go?
Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Cairo, with each school’s own grade.
Kindergarten in Cairo
Cairo Elementary School
Grades PK–6 · 148 students · 10:1 students per teacher
Cairo’s public schools are run by Cairo Community Unit School District 1. 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.
Well below the state in reading
Cairo vs. its neighbors
Schools grades for the Illinois towns that share Cairo’s borders.
| Town | Schools | Main districts |
|---|---|---|
| Cairo | D− | Cairo Community Unit School District 1 |
Every school in Cairo
2 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).
Questions about Cairo’s schools
Are Cairo’s schools good?
On Illinois’s tests they score below most of the state: the public schools Cairo children attend score below 96% of Illinois’s school districts on tests and graduation, a D− Schools grade. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 4%. Tests are from 2020–21, graduation from the class of 2023.
What school district is Cairo in?
Cairo Community Unit School District 1, which runs grades PK–12 and enrolls 278 students in 2 schools (2024–25).
How much does Cairo spend per student?
$29,585 in Cairo Community Unit School District 1 (FY2024), against $21,567 across Illinois. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.
Parents talk
What Cairo families are saying about school.
Looking for colleges? Colleges near Cairo → 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.