Malden Grade School

Malden Grade School is an elementary campus of one-room-style scale in Malden, Illinois, overseen by Malden CCSD 84, serveing 79 students in grades pre-K through 8. Compared to the state average of about 381 students per school, that is 79% smaller than typical.

Malden Grade School sits inside Malden CCSD 84, the local public-school operator responsible for the campus.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Malden Grade School reports that the largest single group is White, at 80% of enrollment; the rest consists of 16% Hispanic, 4% Black.

In terms of school funding signals, The school lists 8 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 9.9:1. The state averages around 13.9:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. About 54% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.

With demographic context factored in, Malden Grade School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 40.1%; this one delivers 40.8%.

Zooming out to the county, community-level numbers for Bureau County indicate the typical household earns roughly $69,257 per year, roughly 22% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 8% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Bureau County runs 22 public schools (combined enrollment of about 4,547 students), of which Malden Grade School is one.

The closest other public school is Douglas Elementary School, roughly 5.8 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a ten-mile radius, suggesting a relatively low-density school footprint. Among the 7 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Malden Grade School ranks 2nd on composite proficiency, above the local average of 31.9%.

Malden Grade School operates from a small-town location.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count fell 13%: 91 students in 2018 compared to 79 in 2025. The White share of enrollment declined from 98% to 80% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio fell from 11.4:1 in 2018 to 9.9:1 today.

On the community side, members of the Malden Grade School community share and discuss enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Members of the school community can share what they know.