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C

Payson Community Unit School District 1

Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 7 towns

Serves Melrose Township, Payson Township, Payson, Burton Township, Fall Creek Township, Richfield Township and Plainville.

Melrose Township’s School Grade C better than 30% of Illinois school districts

Students
449
Schools
2
Spent per student
$14,712
IL $21,567
Students per teacher
11:1
Free or reduced lunch
50%
Debt
$1.2M
fiscal 2024
The gist

What stands out about Payson Community Unit School District 1

  • Its letter, C: results better than 29% of Illinois districts
  • Math proficiency 10 pts below the state
  • Reading proficiency 16 pts below the state
  • Spends 32% less per student than the IL average
  • 11 students per teacher
  • Enrollment down 12.5% since 2020–21
  • Debt of $1.2M, about $2,664 per student
The School Grade

What this district adds to its towns’ grade

C: better than 29% of the 887 Illinois school districts we grade. Each town’s School Grade weighs its districts by the students they test; spending and class size are shown but don’t count.

Test scoresReading and math well below the state, 2021–22
C−
GraduationFour-year graduation below the state, class of 2023
C
The towns it serves, and their School Grades
CMelrose Township 5,506CPayson Township 1,695Payson 994Burton Township 889Fall Creek Township 521Richfield Township 395Plainville 260

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where would my kid go?

The school path for Melrose Township. Grade by grade →

K–5Lincoln-Douglas Elementary SchoolQuincy School District 172
6–122 schoolsQuincy School District 172

Test scores vs. IL

2020–21 · 2021–22 · class of 2023
Math proficiency16%
State average 25.8% · 269 students tested
Reading / language arts14%
State average 29.9% · 236 students tested
Graduation rate (4-year)80–89%
State average 87.6% · 34 in the class

Reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute); the newest year for each measure.

Where the money goes

fiscal 2024
$14,712 per student · 32% below IL
Spending
Classroom instruction 52%Support & administration 43%Other 5%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 40%State 49%Federal 11%

Fiscal 2022–24 includes federal pandemic relief (ESSER).

U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.

Enrollment over time
513’20
487’21
493’22
479’23
449’24

Down 12.5% since 2020–21.

Students
White 92%Two or more races 5%Hispanic 2%Black <1%

Schools in the district

2 public schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Illinois’s other public schools.

Seymour Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–6 · Payson
C
233 students11:1
Seymour High School
High · Grades 7–12 · Payson
C+
216 students11:1

Nearby districts

Compare spending and schools next door.

Liberty Community Unit School District 2Beverly Township, Gilmer Township, Liberty Township
$14,183per student
Quincy School District 172Ellington Township, Quincy, Quincy Township
$13,876per student
Western Community Unit School District 12Barry Township, Hadley Township, Kinderhook Township
$16,195per student
Central CUSD 3Gilmer Township
$15,858per student

District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES school directory 2024–25 and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau’s school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: state results reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute). The letters are our own summary, graded within Illinois.