John L Nash Middle School

John L Nash Middle School is a compact intermediate school in Clifton, Illinois, run under Central CUSD 4. The school hosts 278 students in grades 5 through 8. That puts it 40% smaller than the typical public school in Illinois, which averages around 462 students.

Central CUSD 4 runs 4 schools in total, collectively educating 968 students. John L Nash Middle School is one of those campuses.

Looking at the student body, John L Nash Middle School reports that the student body is overwhelmingly White (92%). Other groups include 5% Hispanic, 3% multiracial. That mix tracks the wider county fairly closely.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, John L Nash Middle School has 25 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 11.3:1. The state averages around 13.0:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Around 41% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. Set against Iroquois County (around 53%), the school's rate is somewhat below typical.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, John L Nash Middle School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 47.6% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 44.3%.

Zooming out to the county, community-level numbers for Iroquois County indicate median household income runs about $66,255, about 18% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 8%. John L Nash Middle School is one of 24 public schools in Iroquois County (combined enrollment of about 3,909 students).

The closest other public school is Central High School, roughly 0.0 miles away. 2 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 6 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), John L Nash Middle School ranks 2nd on composite proficiency, ahead of the local average of 27.6%.

Geographically, the school is in a low-density area.

Five-year trend. John L Nash Middle School's enrollment has contracted 8% since 2018, when it stood at 301 (now 278). The student-to-teacher ratio fell from 15.8:1 in 2018 to 11.3:1 today.

On the community side, posts here usually surface around pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.