Il Youth Center - Pere Marquette

Il Youth Center - Pere Marquette, a tiny four-year high school in Grafton, Illinois, part of IDJJ Sch Dist 428, works with 12 students, covering grades 8 through 12. Enrollment runs roughly 99% smaller than the state mean of about 834.

Il Youth Center - Pere Marquette is one of 5 schools operated by IDJJ Sch Dist 428, a district that educates 157 students overall.

Demographically, Il Youth Center - Pere Marquette records that 50% of students identify as Black, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. The remainder reads as 25% White, 17% multiracial, 8% Hispanic.

Looking at the economic backdrop, The school employs 6 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 2.0:1. The state averages around 13.8:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. An estimated 100% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. That share is above Jersey County's rate of about 45%.

Around the school, census data for Jersey County shows median household earnings sit near $80,361, roughly 23% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 6% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Jersey County's 10 public schools (combined enrollment of about 2,377 students), Il Youth Center - Pere Marquette is one campus in the mix.

Grafton Elem School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 2.4 miles from this campus. Within ten miles, there are 7 other public schools, a sparser pattern than typical urban areas.

Geographically, the school is in an outlying area.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count ticked down 54%: 26 students in 2018 compared to 12 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 31% to 25% across the same window. Class-load math has pulled in: from 3.2:1 in 2018 to 2.0:1 in 2025.

On allk12, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.