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Downtown Sidney, ILPhoto: Daniel Schwen · CC BY-SA 4.0
B
Schools in Sidney · Tolono Community Unit School District 7

Sidney’s public schools outscore 63% of Illinois districts

35% of students in Sidney’s public schools are proficient in math, above the Illinois average (26%). The grade covers the public school district serving Sidney, 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.

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
29%
▼ 1 pts vs IL 30%
2020–21
Math proficiency
35%
▲ 9 pts vs IL 26%
2020–21
Graduate on time
85–89%
▼ 1–3 pts vs IL 88%
class of 2023
Spent per student
$15.4K
▼ 29% vs IL $21.6K
FY2024
Students per teacher
13.2
IL 13.6
Schools in town
0
1,487 students on the public path
In brief

Sidney’s schools, in brief

Above the state in math, below in reading

Reading proficiency is 29% and math 35% in spring 2021, against 30% and 26% statewide; 85–89% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 88%. Test scores ↓

Spending and class size

The district spends $15,382 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 6 the district’s path is Unity Jr High School, then Unity 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 Sidney’s grade

B+ Test scoresC+ Graduation

B: better than 63% of Illinois school districts. Test scores are above the Illinois average; graduation is below it.

Illinois school districts we grade (887)Better than 63%
Lower resultsHigher results
Illinois towns with similar household incomes (1317)Better than 64%
B−A−A fairly firm grade. Ordinary sampling error in 790 test results and a graduating class of 128 could put Sidney anywhere from B− to A−. The tests are from spring 2021, when nearly all of Sidney’s students in the tested grades sat them (784 in math, 795 in reading).

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where will my kid go?

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

The path, start to finish
PK–52 elementary schoolsDepends on your addressB+ to A−
6–8Unity Jr High Schoolin TolonoA−
9–12Unity High Schoolin TolonoA

Sidney’s public schools are run by Tolono Community Unit School District 7, which also serves Colfax, Crittenden, Pesotum and Pesotum and others. 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.

Tolono Community Unit School District 7Grades PK–12 · 4 schools · 1,487 students, down 5% since 2020–21 · 13.2 per teacher (IL 13.6)
$15,382IL $21,567 · FY2024
B
Test scores · 2020–21

Close to the state in reading

Reading29%
State average 29.9% · 795 students tested
Math35%
State average 25.8% · 784 students tested

Sidney vs. its neighbors

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

Schools next door
TownSchoolsMain districts
SidneyBTolono Community Unit School District 7

Every school in Sidney

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 Sidneyin other towns
Unity East
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Philo
A−
241 students12:1Rate it →
Unity West
Elementary · Grades K–5 · Tolono
B+
399 students11:1Rate it →
Unity Jr High School
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Tolono
A−
367 students15:1Rate it →
Unity High School
High · Grades 9–12 · Tolono
A
480 students15:1Rate it →

Questions about Sidney’s schools

Are Sidney’s schools good?

They sit near the middle of Illinois: the public schools Sidney children attend outscore 63% of Illinois’s school districts on tests and graduation, a B Schools grade. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 64%. Tests are from 2020–21, graduation from the class of 2023.

What school district is Sidney in?

Tolono Community Unit School District 7, which runs grades PK–12 and enrolls 1,487 students in 4 schools (2024–25).

Where do Sidney kids go to high school?

Unity High School in Tolono, with 480 students; its own test results earn an A.

What is Sidney’s graduation rate?

85–89% of the class of 2023 in Tolono Community Unit School District 7 graduated in four years, against 88% across Illinois.

How much does Sidney spend per student?

$15,382 in Tolono Community Unit School District 7 (FY2024), against $21,567 across Illinois. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.

Parents talk

What Sidney families are saying about school.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Looking for colleges? Colleges near Sidney → 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.