Meridian Community Unit School District #223

Listed by NCES as Meridian CUSD 223 (district ID 1725690)

Public school district · Ogle County · Illinois · NCES district ID 1725690

Meridian Community Unit School District #223 spent $16,212 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 65% of the other Illinois districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $18,127). Its 4 schools enrolled 1,469 students in 2024-25; 42.6% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $17,680 per student, up 9.1% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 90-94% (Illinois: 87.6%).

NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method

Spending per student among Illinois districts of similar size

Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Meridian Community Unit School District #223 in enrollment (1,466 to 1,514 students) and Meridian Community Unit School District #223 itself.

Current spending per student, Illinois districts closest in size to Meridian Community Unit School District #223, FY23Lisle CUSD 202 $27,944; River Trails SD 26 $21,707; South Holland SD 151 $21,176; Byron CUSD 226 $20,287; Mount Vernon SD 80 $18,791; Western Springs SD 101 $17,700; Meridian Community Unit School District #223 $16,212; Washington CHSD 308 $15,150; Williamsville CUSD 15 $12,503; Beardstown CUSD 15 $12,096; State median, 1,000+ students $18,127.10k15k20k25k30kLisle CUSD 202$27,944River Trails SD 26$21,707South Holland SD 151$21,176Byron CUSD 226$20,287Mount Vernon SD 80$18,791Western Springs SD 101$17,700Meridian Community Unit School…$16,212Washington CHSD 308$15,150Williamsville CUSD 15$12,503Beardstown CUSD 15$12,096State median, 1,000+ students $18,127
Current spending per student, Illinois districts closest in size to Meridian Community Unit School District #223, FY23Lisle CUSD 202 $27,944; River Trails SD 26 $21,707; South Holland SD 151 $21,176; Byron CUSD 226 $20,287; Mount Vernon SD 80 $18,791; Western Springs SD 101 $17,700; Meridian Community Unit School District #223 $16,212; Washington CHSD 308 $15,150; Williamsville CUSD 15 $12,503; Beardstown CUSD 15 $12,096; State median, 1,000+ students $18,127.10k15k20k25k30kLisle CUSD 202$27,944River Trails SD 26$21,707South Holland SD 151$21,176Byron CUSD 226$20,287Mount Vernon SD 80$18,791Western Springs SD 101$17,700Meridian Community Unit School Dist…$16,212Washington CHSD 308$15,150Williamsville CUSD 15$12,503Beardstown CUSD 15$12,096State median, 1,000+ students $18,127
Current spending per student, Illinois districts closest in size to Meridian Community Unit School District #223, FY23Lisle CUSD 202 $27,944; River Trails SD 26 $21,707; South Holland SD 151 $21,176; Byron CUSD 226 $20,287; Mount Vernon SD 80 $18,791; Western Springs SD 101 $17,700; Meridian Community Unit School District #223 $16,212; Washington CHSD 308 $15,150; Williamsville CUSD 15 $12,503; Beardstown CUSD 15 $12,096; State median, 1,000+ students $18,127.10k20k30kLisle CUSD 202$27,944River Trails SD 26$21,707South Holland SD 151$21,176Byron CUSD 226$20,287Mount Vernon SD 80$18,791Western Springs SD 101$17,700Meridian Community Unit School District #223$16,212Washington CHSD 308$15,150Williamsville CUSD 15$12,503Beardstown CUSD 15$12,096State median, 1,000+ students $18,127
Current spending per student, Illinois districts closest in size to Meridian Community Unit School District #223, FY23Lisle CUSD 202 $27,944; River Trails SD 26 $21,707; South Holland SD 151 $21,176; Byron CUSD 226 $20,287; Mount Vernon SD 80 $18,791; Western Springs SD 101 $17,700; Meridian Community Unit School District #223 $16,212; Washington CHSD 308 $15,150; Williamsville CUSD 15 $12,503; Beardstown CUSD 15 $12,096; State median, 1,000+ students $18,127.10k20k30kLisle CUSD 202$27,944River Trails SD 26$21,707South Holland SD 151$21,176Byron CUSD 226$20,287Mount Vernon SD 80$18,791Western Springs SD 101$17,700Meridian Community Unit School District…$16,212Washington CHSD 308$15,150Williamsville CUSD 15$12,503Beardstown CUSD 15$12,096State median, 1,000+ students $18,127

Where the money came from

$30,662,000 in revenue: 42.6% state, 47.2% local and 10.3% federal. Total spending including $4,643,000 of capital outlay was $30,771,000, or $20,610 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

Meridian Community Unit School District #223 revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $13,051,000; Local $14,466,000; Federal $3,145,000; total $30,662,000.
  • State$13,051,000 43%
  • Local$14,466,000 47%
  • Federal$3,145,000 10%

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 377 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).

Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25

1,493 students in 2022-23, 1,495 students in 2023-24, 1,469 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

Meridian Community Unit School District #223 enrollment by school year2022-23: 1,493, 2023-24: 1,495, 2024-25: 1,46905001k1.5k2022-231,4932023-241,4952024-251,469
Meridian Community Unit School District #223 enrollment by school year2022-23: 1,493, 2023-24: 1,495, 2024-25: 1,46905001k1.5k2022-231,4932023-241,4952024-251,469
Meridian Community Unit School District #223 enrollment by school year2022-23: 1,493, 2023-24: 1,495, 2024-25: 1,46905001k1.5k2022-231,4932023-241,4952024-251,469
Meridian Community Unit School District #223 enrollment by school year2022-23: 1,493, 2023-24: 1,495, 2024-25: 1,46905001k1.5k2022-231,4932023-241,4952024-251,469

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-231,493104.614.3
2023-241,495103.014.5
2024-251,469108.613.5

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.

State test results, 2021-22

In 2021-22, the students tested in Meridian Community Unit School District #223 scored proficient or above: 35% in reading, against 29.9% in reading across Illinois. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Illinois, not across states.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22
SubjectThis districtIllinoisStudents tested
Reading and language arts35%29.9%745

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.

Graduation rate, class of 2023

90-94% of the 126 students in Meridian Community Unit School District #223's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 87.6% across Illinois. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.

Four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rate, class of 2023
This districtIllinois
Four-year graduation rate90‑94%87.6%
Students in the class126149,998

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.

2 elementary schools, 708 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Highland Elementary School38113.4not reportedSchoolwide program
Monroe Center Grade School32713.3not reportedSchoolwide program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 middle school, 328 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Meridian Jr High School32813.4not reportedEligible, no program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 high school, 433 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Stillman Valley High School43313.9not reportedEligible, no program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

Contact Meridian Community Unit School District #223

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.

What to look at next about Meridian Community Unit School District #223

  1. Illinois districts by spending per studentMeridian Community Unit School District #223 ranks 247 of 377 Illinois districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($16,212).#247 of 377
  2. Every school district in IllinoisMeridian Community Unit School District #223 is the number 270 by size of 865 Illinois districts, with 1,493 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#270 of 865
  3. Williamsville CUSD 15The next larger Illinois district: 1,494 students in fall 2022, $12,503 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$12,503
  4. South Holland SD 151The next smaller Illinois district: 1,491 students in fall 2022, $21,176 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$21,176
  5. Compare Meridian Community Unit School District #223 with Williamsville CUSD 15Enrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  6. Stillman Valley High School, its largest high school433 students in 2024-25, 13.9 per teacher.433
  7. Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.

Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).

Questions about Meridian Community Unit School District #223

  1. How many schools and students are in Meridian Community Unit School District #223?
    4 schools were open in 2024-25 (2 elementary, 1 middle, 1 high), enrolling 1,469 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does Meridian Community Unit School District #223 spend per student?
    $16,212 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Illinois median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $18,127 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $17,680 per student, up 9.1% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does Meridian Community Unit School District #223's money come from?
    $30,662,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 42.6% state, 47.2% local and 10.3% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in Meridian Community Unit School District #223 live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 96 of the 1,585 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 6.1%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.
  5. How do students in Meridian Community Unit School District #223 do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in Meridian Community Unit School District #223 scored proficient or above: 35% in reading, against 29.9% in reading across Illinois. Illinois's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.
  6. What is the graduation rate in Meridian Community Unit School District #223?
    90-94% of the 126 students in Meridian Community Unit School District #223's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 87.6% across Illinois. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.
  7. What is Meridian Community Unit School District #223's NCES district ID?
    1725690. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.

Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.

Sources

Every federal file behind this record
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
  • Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
  • EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
  • EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25

Compiled from official source data by .