Photo: Nyttend · Public domainCarthage’s public schools score below 53% of Illinois districts on tests and graduation
On the state math tests, 17% of Carthage’s students scored proficient, below the Illinois average (26%). The grade covers the two public school districts serving Carthage, 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.
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.
Carthage’s schools, in brief
Carthage runs its own schools through grade 8, then shares
Carthage Primary School (PK–4) and Carthage Middle School (5–8) are Carthage’s own. From grade 9, students attend the Illini West High School District 307 with Appanoose, Bear Creek, Bentley, Blandinsville, Carthage, Dallas City, Dallas City, Durham, Ferris, Fountain Green, Hancock, Harmony, La Harpe, La Harpe, Lomax, Lomax, Pilot Grove, Pontoosuc, Pontoosuc, Prairie, Rock Creek, St. Mary and Terre Haute: Illini West High School in Carthage. The high school’s own results earn a B−. See the path ↓
Above the state in reading, below in math
Reading proficiency is 31% and math 17% across both districts in spring 2021, against 30% and 26% statewide; 80–84% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 88%. Test scores ↓
Spending and class size
Illini West High School District 307 spends $17,108 per student and Carthage Elementary School District 317 $12,730, against $21,567 across Illinois (FY2024). Neither counts toward the grade. Districts ↓
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 Carthage’s grade
B−: better than 47% of Illinois school districts. Both inputs trail the Illinois average; test scores are the closer of the two to typical.
Where will my kid go?
Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Carthage, with each school’s own grade.
Kindergarten in Carthage
Carthage Primary School
Grades PK–4 · 238 students · 14:1 students per teacher
1st grade in Carthage
Carthage Primary School
Grades PK–4 · 238 students · 14:1 students per teacher
2nd grade in Carthage
Carthage Primary School
Grades PK–4 · 238 students · 14:1 students per teacher
3rd grade in Carthage
Carthage Primary School
Grades PK–4 · 238 students · 14:1 students per teacher
4th grade in Carthage
Carthage Primary School
Grades PK–4 · 238 students · 14:1 students per teacher
5th grade in Carthage
Carthage Middle School
Grades 5–8 · 167 students · 14:1 students per teacher
6th grade in Carthage
Carthage Middle School
Grades 5–8 · 167 students · 14:1 students per teacher
7th grade in Carthage
Carthage Middle School
Grades 5–8 · 167 students · 14:1 students per teacher
8th grade in Carthage
Carthage Middle School
Grades 5–8 · 167 students · 14:1 students per teacher
9th grade in Carthage
Illini West High School
Grades 9–12 · 349 students · 15:1 students per teacher
10th grade in Carthage
Illini West High School
Grades 9–12 · 349 students · 15:1 students per teacher
11th grade in Carthage
Illini West High School
Grades 9–12 · 349 students · 15:1 students per teacher
12th grade in Carthage
Illini West High School
Grades 9–12 · 349 students · 15:1 students per teacher
Carthage runs its own schools through grade 8 (Carthage Elementary School District 317). From grade 9, students attend the Illini West High School District 307, shared with Appanoose, Bear Creek, Bentley, Blandinsville, Carthage, Dallas City, Dallas City, Durham, Ferris, Fountain Green, Hancock, Harmony, La Harpe, La Harpe, Lomax, Lomax, Pilot Grove, Pontoosuc, Pontoosuc, Prairie, Rock Creek, St. Mary and Terre Haute. Its elementary school is in Carthage. To confirm the school for a specific address, ask the district.
Two districts serve Carthage
Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.
Close to the state in reading
Carthage vs. its neighbors
Schools grades for the Illinois towns that share Carthage’s borders.
| Town | Schools | Main districts |
|---|---|---|
| Carthage | B− | Carthage Elementary School District 317 PK–8 · Illini West High School District 307 9–12 |
Every school in Carthage
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).
Questions about Carthage’s schools
Are Carthage’s schools good?
On Illinois’s tests they score below most of the state: the public schools Carthage children attend score below 53% of Illinois’s school districts on tests and graduation, a B− Schools grade. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 49%. Tests are from 2020–21, graduation from the class of 2023.
What school district is Carthage in?
Two districts: Carthage Elementary School District 317 runs grades PK–8, and Illini West High School District 307 runs grades 9–12, shared with Appanoose, Bear Creek, Bentley, Blandinsville, Carthage, Dallas City, Dallas City, Durham, Ferris, Fountain Green, Hancock, Harmony, La Harpe, La Harpe, Lomax, Lomax, Pilot Grove, Pontoosuc, Pontoosuc, Prairie, Rock Creek, St. Mary and Terre Haute.
Where do Carthage kids go to high school?
Illini West High School, with 349 students; its own test results earn a B−.
What is Carthage’s graduation rate?
80–84% of the class of 2023 in Illini West High School District 307 graduated in four years, against 88% across Illinois.
How much does Carthage spend per student?
$17,108 in Illini West High School District 307 and $12,730 in Carthage Elementary School District 317 (FY2024), against $21,567 across Illinois. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.
Parents talk
What Carthage families are saying about school.
Looking for colleges? Colleges near Carthage → 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.