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US 136 entering ColchesterPhoto: Adam Moss · CC BY-SA 2.0
C+
Schools in Colchester · West Prairie Community Unit School District 103

Colchester’s public schools score below 63% of Illinois districts on tests and graduation

22% of students in Colchester’s public schools are proficient in reading, below the Illinois average (30%). The grade covers the public school district serving Colchester, 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.

K–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
22%
▼ 8 pts vs IL 30%
2020–21
Math proficiency
20%
▼ 6 pts vs IL 26%
2020–21
Spent per student
$20.9K
▼ 3% vs IL $21.6K
FY2024
Students per teacher
10.6
IL 13.6 · smaller classes
Schools in town
0
573 students on the public path
In brief

Colchester’s schools, in brief

Better than its incomes would predict

Among the 1389 Illinois towns with household incomes within a quarter of Colchester’s, its schools beat 42%, higher than their 37% against all the state’s districts. The grade ↓

Results trail the state

In spring 2021, 22% of tested students were proficient in reading and 20% in math, against 30% and 26% statewide; nearly all of students in the tested grades sat the tests. The grade ↓

Spending and class size

The district spends $20,946 per student, against $21,567 across Illinois (FY2024). Spending doesn’t count toward the grade. Districts ↓

Two elementary schools, then one middle and one high school

Which elementary school depends on the address; from grade 7 the district’s path is West Prairie Junior High School, then West Prairie Senior 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 Colchester’s grade

C+ Test scores

C+: better than 37% of Illinois school districts. Test scores are below the Illinois average; there is no graduation rate to add.

Illinois school districts we grade (887)Better than 37%
Lower resultsHigher results
Illinois towns with similar household incomes (1389)Better than 42%
CB−A fairly firm grade. Ordinary sampling error in 299 test results could put Colchester anywhere from C to B−. The tests are from spring 2021, when nearly all of Colchester’s students in the tested grades sat them (287 in math, 311 in reading).

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where will my kid go?

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

The path, start to finish
PK–62 schoolsDepends on your addressB to A+
7–8West Prairie Junior High SchoolWest Prairie Community Unit School District 103C
9–12West Prairie Senior High SchoolWest Prairie Community Unit School District 103B−

Colchester’s public schools are run by West Prairie Community Unit School District 103. 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.

West Prairie Community Unit School District 103Grades PK–12 · 4 schools · 573 students, down 3% since 2020–21 · 10.6 per teacher (IL 13.6)
$20,946IL $21,567 · FY2024
C+
Test scores · 2020–21

Well below the state in reading

Reading22%
State average 29.9% · 311 students tested
Math20%
State average 25.8% · 287 students tested

Colchester vs. its neighbors

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

Schools next door
TownSchoolsMain districts
ColchesterC+West Prairie Community Unit School District 103

Every school in Colchester

4 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 Colchesterin other towns
West Prairie South Elementary Sch
Elementary · Grades PK–6
A+
182 students11:1Rate it →
West Prairie North Elementary Sch
Elementary · Grades PK–6 · Good Hope
B
141 students9:1Rate it →
West Prairie Junior High School
Middle · Grades 7–8
C
80 students10:1Rate it →
West Prairie Senior High School
High · Grades 9–12
B−
170 students11:1Rate it →

Questions about Colchester’s schools

Are Colchester’s schools good?

On Illinois’s tests they score below most of the state: the public schools Colchester children attend score below 63% of Illinois’s school districts on tests and graduation, a C+ Schools grade. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 42%. Tests are from 2020–21, graduation from the class of 2023.

What school district is Colchester in?

West Prairie Community Unit School District 103, which runs grades PK–12 and enrolls 573 students in 4 schools (2024–25).

Where do Colchester kids go to high school?

West Prairie Senior High School, with 170 students; its own test results earn a B−.

How much does Colchester spend per student?

$20,946 in West Prairie Community Unit School District 103 (FY2024), against $21,567 across Illinois. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.

Parents talk

What Colchester families are saying about school.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Looking for colleges? Colleges near Colchester → 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.