Central Junior High

Central Junior High is a junior high of tight-knit scale in Kewanee, Illinois, run under Kewanee CUSD 229, hosting 235 students in grades 7 through 8. By comparison, Illinois's public schools average about 462 students each, so Central Junior High sits 49% leaner than that benchmark.

Kewanee CUSD 229 comprises 7 schools with combined enrollment of 1,963 students; Central Junior High is among them.

Demographically, Central Junior High lists that the most-represented group is White (54%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups; the rest reads as 29% Hispanic, 9% Black, 9% multiracial. By comparison, Henry County as a whole is about 88% White, so the school skews considerably less White than its surroundings.

Looking at school resources, Central Junior High records 20 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 11.6:1. The state averages around 13.0:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. About 74% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. That share is higher than Henry County's rate of about 43%.

With demographic context factored in, Central Junior High sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 28.8%; this one delivers 40.5%.

In the surrounding community, the surrounding county (Henry County) logs that median household earnings sit near $71,911, about 25% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and the poverty rate sits near 6%. Across Henry County's 28 public schools (combined enrollment of about 7,723 students), Central Junior High is one campus in the mix.

Central Elem is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.0 miles from this campus. 7 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. On composite proficiency, Central Junior High comes 3rd of 7 in the immediate cluster, above the nearby-schools average of 39.3%.

Central Junior High operates from a small-town location.

Five-year trend. Central Junior High's enrollment has held roughly steady since 2018, when it stood at 233 (now 235). White enrollment moved from 73% to 54% across the same window. Class-load math has tightened: from 15.0:1 in 2018 to 11.6:1 in 2025.

On allk12, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.