McLean County Times

In the 2022-23 school year, 39% of the students in Prairie Central Community Unit School District 8 passed the ELA portion of the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR), according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Of the 667 students in Prairie Central Community Unit School District 8 who took the ELA portion of the test, approximately 260 (39%) passed.

The percentage of Prairie Central Community Unit School District 8 students who met or exceeded expectations on the IAR increased by 7.2% compared to the previous school year.

Prairie Central Community Unit School District 8 roughly covers six schools within Livingston County and has a main office in Fairbury.

The Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) assesses the progress of students in grades 3-8 in meeting the Illinois Learning Standards in English language arts and mathematics.

Illinois has approved a new budget for 2025 that increases funds for K-12 education to $8.6 billion, $350 million above last year’s budget. Lawmakers also approved a new bill that creates a statewide child tax credit, which allows families to receive $300 per child under 17 years. This comes after a similar aid was granted from the federal government, as part of the American Rescue Plan.

School	District	Students who met standards (%)	Students who exceed standards (%)
Prairie Central Upper Elementary School	Prairie Central Community Unit School District 8	43.5%	1.7%
Prairie Central Junior High School	Prairie Central Community Unit School District 8	37.8%	6.9%
Prairie Central Elementary School	Prairie Central Community Unit School District 8	25.8%	0.5%