Top Rankings
Sterling Community Unit School District 5 ranks among the top 20% of public school district in Illinois for:
Category
Attribute
Graduation Rate
Highest graduation rate (Top 20%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025-26 school year, there is 1 public middle school serving 718 students in Sterling Community Unit School District 5. This district's average middle testing ranking is 4/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public middle schools in Illinois.
Public Middle School in Sterling Community Unit School District 5 have an average math proficiency score of 21% (versus the Illinois public middle school average of 24%), and reading proficiency score of 19% (versus the 29% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 46% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the Illinois public middle school average of 61% (majority Hispanic).
Overview
This School District
This State (IL)
# Schools
6 Schools
1,599 Schools
# Students
3,228 Students
621,275 Students
# Teachers
203 Teachers
47,955 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
16:1
16:1
Student By Grade
District Rank
Sterling Community Unit School District 5, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 864 school districts in Illinois (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 92% has increased from 83% over five school years.
Overall District Rank
#620 out of 865 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
(Bottom 50%)
Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
21%
27%
Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
18%
30%
Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
50%
50%
Graduation Rate
92%
87%
Students by Ethnicity:
Diversity Score
0.58
0.71
% American Indian
n/a
n/a
% Asian
1%
5%
% Hispanic
36%
30%
% Black
2%
22%
% White
55%
39%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
6%
4%
All Ethnic Groups
District Revenue and Spending
The revenue/student of $17,720 in this school district is less than the state median of $22,423. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $16,299 is less than the state median of $21,662. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
Total Revenue
$57 MM
$41,381 MM
Spending
$53 MM
$39,976 MM
Revenue / Student
$17,720
$22,423
Spending / Student
$16,299
$21,662
Best Sterling Community Unit School District 5 Public Middle Schools (2025-26)
School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Challand Middle School
(Math: 21% | Reading: 19%)
Rank:
Rank:
4/
Bottom 50%10
1700 6th Ave
Sterling, IL 61081
(815) 626-3300
Sterling, IL 61081
(815) 626-3300
Gr: 6-8 | 718 students Student-teacher ratio: 16:1 Minority enrollment: 45%
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