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Illinois - Starved Rock through TrentonPhoto: Unknown authorUnknown author or not provided · Public domain
B
Schools in Trenton · Wesclin Community Unit School District 3

Trenton’s public schools outscore 60% of Illinois districts

37% of students in Trenton’s public schools are proficient in reading, above the Illinois average (30%). The grade covers the public school district serving Trenton, 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.

≈could be anywhere from C+ to A−#363of 768 Illinois townsK–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
37%
▲ 7 pts vs IL 30%
2020–21
Math proficiency
24%
▼ 2 pts vs IL 26%
2020–21
Graduate on time
85–89%
▼ 1–3 pts vs IL 88%
class of 2023
Spent per student
$14.1K
▼ 34% vs IL $21.6K
FY2024
Students per teacher
13.5
IL 13.6
Schools in town
0
1,288 students on the public path
In brief

Trenton’s schools, in brief

Better than its incomes would predict

Among the 1444 Illinois towns with household incomes within a quarter of Trenton’s, its schools beat 66%, higher than their 60% against all the state’s districts. The grade ↓

Above the state in reading, below in math

Reading proficiency is 37% and math 24% 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 $14,132 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 4 the district’s path is Wesclin Middle School, then Wesclin Sr 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 Trenton’s grade

B Test scoresC+ Graduation

B: better than 60% of Illinois school districts, #363 of 768 Illinois towns. Test scores are above the Illinois average; graduation is below it.

Illinois school districts we grade (887)Better than 60%
Lower resultsHigher results
Illinois towns with similar household incomes (1444)Better than 66%
C+A−A rough placement. Ordinary sampling error in 656 test results and a graduating class of 99 could put Trenton anywhere from C+ to A−. The tests are from spring 2021, when nearly all of Trenton’s students in the tested grades sat them (660 in math, 651 in reading).

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where will my kid go?

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

The path, start to finish
PK–32 elementary schoolsDepends on your addressB+ to A
4–8Wesclin Middle SchoolWesclin Community Unit School District 3B
9–12Wesclin Sr High SchoolWesclin Community Unit School District 3B+

Trenton’s public schools are run by Wesclin Community Unit School District 3, which also serves Looking Glass, New Baden and Sugar Creek. 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.

Wesclin Community Unit School District 3Grades PK–12 · 4 schools · 1,288 students, down 3% since 2020–21 · 13.5 per teacher (IL 13.6)
$14,132IL $21,567 · FY2024
B
Test scores · 2020–21

Well above the state in reading

Reading37%
State average 29.9% · 651 students tested
Math24%
State average 25.8% · 660 students tested

Trenton vs. its neighbors

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

Schools next door
TownSchoolsMain districts
TrentonBWesclin Community Unit School District 3

Every school in Trenton

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 Trentonin other towns
Trenton Elem School
Elementary · Grades PK–3
B+
207 students15:1Rate it →
New Baden Elementary School
Elementary · Grades K–3 · New Baden
A
246 students14:1Rate it →
Wesclin Middle School
Middle · Grades 4–8
B
492 students13:1Rate it →
Wesclin Sr High School
High · Grades 9–12
B+
343 students12:1Rate it →

Questions about Trenton’s schools

Are Trenton’s schools good?

They sit near the middle of Illinois: the public schools Trenton children attend outscore 60% of Illinois’s school districts on tests and graduation, a B Schools grade, #363 of 768 Illinois towns. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 66%. Tests are from 2020–21, graduation from the class of 2023.

What school district is Trenton in?

Wesclin Community Unit School District 3, which runs grades PK–12 and enrolls 1,288 students in 4 schools (2024–25).

Where do Trenton kids go to high school?

Wesclin Sr High School, with 343 students; its own test results earn a B+.

What is Trenton’s graduation rate?

85–89% of the class of 2023 in Wesclin Community Unit School District 3 graduated in four years, against 88% across Illinois.

How much does Trenton spend per student?

$14,132 in Wesclin Community Unit School District 3 (FY2024), against $21,567 across Illinois. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.

Parents talk

What Trenton families are saying about school.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Looking for colleges? Colleges near Trenton → 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.