J L Buford Intermediate Ed Ctr

J L Buford Intermediate Ed Ctr is a primary school of modestly sized scale in Mount Vernon, Illinois, operated by Mount Vernon SD 80, educateing 260 students in grades 4 through 5. By comparison, Illinois's public schools average about 381 students each, so J L Buford Intermediate Ed Ctr sits 32% leaner than that benchmark.

Mount Vernon SD 80 comprises 4 schools with combined enrollment of 1,445 students; J L Buford Intermediate Ed Ctr is among them.

Looking at the student body, J L Buford Intermediate Ed Ctr reports that 48% of students identify as White, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Other groups include 26% Black, 18% multiracial, 6% Hispanic. That is noticeably less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 84%.

Looking at school resources, On paper, J L Buford Intermediate Ed Ctr has 18 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 14.4:1. That tracks the state average closely. Around 85% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, often used as a Title I proxy. Set against Jefferson County (around 60%), the school's rate is somewhat above typical.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, J L Buford Intermediate Ed Ctr sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 22.4%; this one delivers 25.8%.

In the area at large, community-level numbers for Jefferson County indicate the typical household earns roughly $63,118 per year, about 18% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 11%. J L Buford Intermediate Ed Ctr is one of 31 public schools in Jefferson County (combined enrollment of about 5,314 students).

Nearest neighbor: Dr Nick Osborne Primary Center, around 0.8 miles off. Within five miles, there are 7 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts J L Buford Intermediate Ed Ctr at 5th of 8; the average score across the group is 32.5%.

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

Over the past 7-year window. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at J L Buford Intermediate Ed Ctr has increased 20%, going from 217 students in 2018 to 260 in 2025. The White share of enrollment edged down from 53% to 48% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio rose from 10.5:1 in 2018 to 14.4:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, the feed for J L Buford Intermediate Ed Ctr typically covers science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.