Gardner-South Wilmington Twp H S

Gardner-South Wilmington Twp H S is one of the tiny senior highs in Gardner, Illinois, run under Gardner S Wilmington Twp HSD 73, with 154 students on its rolls from grades 9 through 12. By comparison, Illinois's public schools average about 834 students each, so Gardner-South Wilmington Twp H S sits 82% smaller than that benchmark.

Operationally, Gardner-South Wilmington Twp H S answers to Gardner S Wilmington Twp HSD 73, which sets policy, hires staff, and reports enrollment to the state.

In terms of who attends, Gardner-South Wilmington Twp H S lists that the student body is overwhelmingly White (93%). Beyond that, the school shows 6% Hispanic.

In terms of school funding signals, On paper, Gardner-South Wilmington Twp H S has 18 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 8.6:1. The state averages around 13.8:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Around 30% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, often used as a Title I proxy.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Gardner-South Wilmington Twp H S falls in the UNDERPERFORMING tier of the BeatsExpectations residual. Given its student profile, a typical campus would land near 54.3%; this one comes in at 38.0%, -16.3 points off the demographic line.

In the area at large, community-level numbers for Grundy County indicate median household income runs about $92,235, about 24% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and roughly 5% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Gardner-South Wilmington Twp H S is one of 28 public schools in Grundy County (combined enrollment of about 12,070 students).

Gardner Elem School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.6 miles from this campus. Within five miles, there are 3 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Gardner-South Wilmington Twp H S at 7th of 8; the average score across the group is 49.6%.

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

Over the past 7-year window. Gardner-South Wilmington Twp H S's enrollment has fell 16% since 2018, when it stood at 184 (now 154). Hispanic enrollment moved from 2% to 6% across the same window. Class-load math has tightened: from 10.6:1 in 2018 to 8.6:1 in 2025.

On the community side, members of the Gardner-South Wilmington Twp H S community share and discuss classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.