Charleston High School

Charleston High School is one of the medium-sized 9-12 campuss in Charleston, Illinois, run under Charleston CUSD 1, with 795 students on its rolls from grades 9 through 12.

Within Charleston CUSD 1, which oversees 6 schools and 2,744 students, Charleston High School is one campus in the system.

In terms of who attends, Charleston High School records that 78% of the student body identifies as White. The remainder breaks down as 7% multiracial, 7% Black, 6% Hispanic. By comparison, Coles County as a whole is about 90% White, so the school skews noticeably less White than its surroundings.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, Charleston High School has 48 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 16.6:1. The state averages around 13.8:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. An estimated 45% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. Set against Coles County (around 55%), the school's rate is somewhat below typical.

After controlling for student poverty, Charleston High School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 45.6%; this one delivers 35.4%.

In the broader community, ACS estimates for Coles County put median household earnings sit near $56,478, 27% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 12%. Charleston High School is one of 23 public schools in Coles County (combined enrollment of about 5,973 students).

Nearest neighbor: Mark Twain Elem School, around 0.2 miles off. 4 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Charleston High School at 5th of 7; the average score across the group is 37.4%.

Geographically, the school is in a town-based area.

Over the past 7-year window. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Charleston High School has stayed largely flat, going from 803 students in 2018 to 795 in 2025. The White share of enrollment fell from 87% to 78% over that span.

Within the allk12 community for this school, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.