Enrollment
260
Elementary
DISTRICT 355 · STATE 381
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·MOUNT VERNON SD 80·NCES 172734002902
J L Buford Intermediate Ed Center
623 S 34th St, Mount Vernon, IL 62864 · (618) 244-8064 · Jefferson County
GRADES 04–05ELEMENTARY33-TOWNTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL260 STUDENTS
C
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 34% of Illinois public elementary schools
- C-Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- BBeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Illinois public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
14.4:1
18 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 14.9:1 · STATE 13.9:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
85%
221 students
DISTRICT 86% · STATE 56%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 4 | 128 | 49% |
| Grade 5 | 125 | 48% |
| Grade 6 | 2 | 1% |
| Grade 7 | 1 | 0% |
| Grade 8 | 4 | 2% |
Student demographics
67%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 67% · STATE 69% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
J L Buford Intermediate Ed Center→Zadok Casey Middle School
Feeds from
Based on grade levels within Mount Vernon SD 80. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
QUIET COMMUNITY
Be the first to start a discussion at J L Buford Intermediate Ed Center.
START A DISCUSSIONTest scores
IAR + ISA 2024-25 . % Proficient (Levels 4-5)English Language Arts
37.4%
IL avg 51.0% . +14.9pp since 2023
Math
19.3%
IL avg 37.9% . +11.2pp since 2023
What this means: On the IAR + ISA, Illinois's statewide test, about 37 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 19 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Illinois schools, those numbers are about 51 and 38. Reading and writing scores are up about 15 points since 2023, while math scores are up about 11 points.
IAR + ISA results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 37.4% | 19.3% |
| 2023-24 | 22.5% | 8.1% |
% Proficient (Levels 4-5), all students and all tested grades.
Source: IAR + ISA. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
25.8%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
22.4%
based on IL schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+3.3pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 26% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 22% typical for Illinois schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Illinois's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like J L Buford Intermediate Ed Center
J L Buford Intermediate Ed Center's state test result (25.8% proficient) is higher than 2 of the 4 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| J L Buford Intermediate Ed Center this school | 260 | 85.0% | 25.8% |
| Lincoln Elementary School Jacksonville | 246 | 86.2% | 32.2% |
| Ridgewood Elementary School Rock Island | 260 | 87.3% | 30.8% |
| Dr Andy Hall Early Educ Center Mount Vernon | 243 | 81.5% | N/A |
| Michael E Baum Elementary School Decatur | 313 | 86.6% | 16.4% |
| Northview Elementary School Rantoul | 218 | 85.3% | 19.8% |
Matched among Illinois elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where J L Buford Intermediate Ed Center ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Illinois | In Jefferson County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 25.8% | #1,425 of 1,925 | #10 of 11 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 19.3% | #1,623 of 2,077 ▲ 94 | #10 of 11 ▲ 1 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 37.4% | #1,434 of 2,077 ▲ 42 | #10 of 11 no change |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 260 | #1,774 of 2,419 | #5 of 15 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 14.4:1 | #1,366 of 2,035 | #8 of 9 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 66.6% | #279 of 2,042 | #2 of 9 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 85.0% | #399 of 2,132 | #2 of 12 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +19.8% | #120 of 615 | N/A |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
260
-10 (-4%) vs 2020
-40% since 1990-91, when it was 431
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 260 | 18.1 | 14.4:1 | 85% (221) |
| 2023-24 | 280 | 20.1 | 14.0:1 | 85% (237) |
| 2022-23 | 275 | 20.3 | 13.6:1 | 82% (225) |
| 2020-21 | 270 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 217 | 20.7 | 10.5:1 | 82% (177) |
| 2015-16 | 299 | 17 | 17.6:1 | 84% (251) |
| 2010-11 | 298 | 15 | 19.9:1 | 80% (238) |
| 2000-01 | 326 | 18 | 18.1:1 | N/A |
| 1990-91 | 431 | 21 | 20.5:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for J L Buford Intermediate Ed Center.
Since 2017-18: students up 20% (217 to 260); teachers down 13% (20.7 to 18.1).
About J L Buford Intermediate Ed Center
Located in Mount Vernon, Illinois, J L Buford Intermediate Ed Center is a small elementary school. It teaches 260 students in grades 4 through 5. That is 32% below the average of about 381 students for elementary schools in Illinois.
Mount Vernon SD 80 counts 1,445 students in its 4 schools, and J L Buford Intermediate Ed Center is one of them.
The largest group at J L Buford Intermediate Ed Center is White students, at 48%. Other students are 26% Black, 18% multiracial, and 6% Hispanic. That is lower than the 84% White share among all Jefferson County residents. Measured by the diversity index, the student body scores 67%.
J L Buford Intermediate Ed Center lists 18.1 full-time-equivalent teachers; that is about 14.4 students per teacher. The 13.9:1 average for elementary schools in Illinois is close to this figure. About 85% of students at J L Buford Intermediate Ed Center are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. The 60% average for public schools in Jefferson County is 25 points lower.
J L Buford Intermediate Ed Center holds a C allk12 Grade, placing it above 34% of Illinois public elementary schools.
On a poverty-adjusted basis, J L Buford Intermediate Ed Center falls in the middle 80% of Illinois schools: 25.8% actual against 22.4% predicted.
In Jefferson County, where the school is located, median household income comes to about $63,118, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 18%, and about 11% of people live in poverty. There are 31 public schools in the county, enrolling about 5,314, J L Buford Intermediate Ed Center among them.
Among nearby public schools, Dr Nick Osborne Primary Center is closest at about 0.8 miles. Other public schools within five miles number 7. Among 8 nearby schools that report test results, J L Buford Intermediate Ed Center ranks 5th on proficiency.
The school's federal locale classification is Town: Remote.
Enrollment decreased 4% over 4 years, reaching 260 in 2024-25.
Parents, students, and staff can share information on athletics, class schedules, and weather closures here. Members of the school community can share what they know.
Jefferson County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
36,550
Census ACS
Median income
$63,118
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
18%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
11%
Below federal line
Schools in county
31
5,314 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Mount Vernon SD 80
- Dr Nick Osborne Primary CenterElementary · 562 students
- Zadok Casey Middle SchoolMiddle · 380 students
- Dr Andy Hall Early Educ CenterElementary · 243 students
Other schools in Mount Vernon
- Mount Vernon High SchoolHigh · 1,233 students
- Dr Nick Osborne Primary CenterElementary · 562 students
- Zadok Casey Middle SchoolMiddle · 380 students
- Summersville Grade SchoolElementary · 283 students
- Dr Andy Hall Early Educ CenterElementary · 243 students
- Bethel Grade SchoolElementary · 154 students
Nearby schools
- Dr Nick Osborne Primary Center0.8 mi · 562
- Zadok Casey Middle School1.3 mi · 380
- Mount Vernon High School1.7 mi · 1,233
- Dr Andy Hall Early Educ Center2.2 mi · 243
- Bethel Grade School2.6 mi · 154
- McClellan Elementary School3.3 mi · 56
Frequently asked questions
About J L Buford Intermediate Ed CenterHow many students attend J L Buford Intermediate Ed Center?
J L Buford Intermediate Ed Center enrolls approximately 260 students in grades 04-05.
Is J L Buford Intermediate Ed Center an elementary, middle, or high school?
J L Buford Intermediate Ed Center is an elementary school covering grades 04-05.
What is the student-teacher ratio at J L Buford Intermediate Ed Center?
The student-to-teacher ratio at J L Buford Intermediate Ed Center is approximately 14.4:1 (18 FTE teachers).
How diverse is J L Buford Intermediate Ed Center?
J L Buford Intermediate Ed Center reports a student body of 48% White, 6% Hispanic, 26% Black, 1% Asian, 18% Two or more.
What district is J L Buford Intermediate Ed Center in?
J L Buford Intermediate Ed Center is part of Mount Vernon SD 80.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.