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Thomson Station - November 2016Photo: Adam Moss · CC BY-SA 2.0
C−
Schools in Thomson · West Carroll Community Unit School District 314

Thomson’s public schools score below 84% of Illinois districts on tests and graduation

In Thomson, 12% of tested students are proficient in math, below the Illinois average (26%). The grade covers the public school district serving Thomson, 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
20%
▼ 10 pts vs IL 30%
2020–21
Math proficiency
12%
▼ 14 pts vs IL 26%
2020–21
Graduate on time
75–79%
▼ 9–13 pts vs IL 88%
class of 2023
Spent per student
$16.8K
▼ 22% vs IL $21.6K
FY2024
Students per teacher
13.4
IL 13.6
Schools in town
0
839 students on the public path
In brief

Thomson’s schools, in brief

Results trail the state

In spring 2021, 20% of tested students were proficient in reading and 12% in math, against 30% and 26% statewide; nearly all of students in the tested grades sat the tests. The grade ↓

Graduation

75–79% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 88% across Illinois (the state reports Thomson’s rate as a range). Districts ↓

Spending and class size

The district spends $16,799 per student, against $21,567 across Illinois (FY2024). Spending doesn’t count toward the grade. Districts ↓

One elementary school, then one middle and one high school

From grade 6 the district’s path is West Carroll Middle School, then West Carroll 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.

The School Grade

What’s behind Thomson’s grade

C− Test scoresD Graduation

C−: better than 16% of Illinois school districts. Both inputs trail the Illinois average; test scores are the closer of the two to typical.

Illinois school districts we grade (887)Better than 16%
Lower resultsHigher results
Illinois towns with similar household incomes (1312)Better than 13%
D−C+A fairly firm grade. Ordinary sampling error in 442 test results and a graduating class of 72 could put Thomson anywhere from D− to C+. The tests are from spring 2021, when nearly all of Thomson’s students in the tested grades sat them (450 in math, 434 in reading).

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where will my kid go?

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

The path, start to finish
PK–5West Carroll Primaryin SavannaC
6–8West Carroll Middle Schoolin Mount CarrollC+
9–12West Carroll High Schoolin SavannaC

Thomson’s public schools are run by West Carroll Community Unit School District 314, which also serves Freedom, Mount Carroll, Mount Carroll and Salem 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.

West Carroll Community Unit School District 314Grades PK–12 · 3 schools · 839 students, down 7% since 2020–21 · 13.4 per teacher (IL 13.6)
$16,799IL $21,567 · FY2024
C−
Test scores · 2020–21

Well below the state in reading

Reading20%
State average 29.9% · 434 students tested
Math12%
State average 25.8% · 450 students tested

Thomson vs. its neighbors

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

Schools next door
TownSchoolsMain districts
ThomsonC−West Carroll Community Unit School District 314

Every school in Thomson

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).

Also serving Thomsonin other towns
West Carroll Primary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Savanna
C
432 students15:1Rate it →
West Carroll Middle School
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Mount Carroll
C+
162 students11:1Rate it →
West Carroll High School
High · Grades 9–12 · Savanna
C
245 students13:1Rate it →

Questions about Thomson’s schools

Are Thomson’s schools good?

On Illinois’s tests they score below most of the state: the public schools Thomson children attend score below 84% of Illinois’s school districts on tests and graduation, a C− Schools grade. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 13%. Tests are from 2020–21, graduation from the class of 2023.

What school district is Thomson in?

West Carroll Community Unit School District 314, which runs grades PK–12 and enrolls 839 students in 3 schools (2024–25).

Where do Thomson kids go to high school?

West Carroll High School in Savanna, with 245 students; its own test results earn a C.

What is Thomson’s graduation rate?

75–79% of the class of 2023 in West Carroll Community Unit School District 314 graduated in four years, against 88% across Illinois.

How much does Thomson spend per student?

$16,799 in West Carroll Community Unit School District 314 (FY2024), against $21,567 across Illinois. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.

Parents talk

What Thomson families are saying about school.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Looking for colleges? Colleges near Thomson → 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.