Meridian High School

Meridian High School, a tiny 9-12 campus in Mounds, Illinois, run under Meridian CUSD 101, works with 206 students, covering grades 6 through 12. Compared to the state average of about 834 students per school, that is 75% leaner than typical.

Within Meridian CUSD 101, which oversees 2 schools and 419 students, Meridian High School is one campus in the system.

On demographics, Meridian High School lists that 54% of students identify as Black, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. The remainder is composed of 30% White, 14% multiracial. That is visibly more Black than the county at large, where the share is closer to 34%.

Looking at school resources, Staff filings list 14 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 14.3:1 students per teacher. The state averages about 13.8:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. An estimated 99% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. By comparison, Pulaski County runs at roughly 81%, so the school's eligibility rate is above the surrounding baseline.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Meridian High School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 14.6%; this one delivers 7.2%.

Across the wider county, census data for Pulaski County shows median household earnings sit near $42,463, roughly 13% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 17% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Pulaski County's 5 public schools (combined enrollment of about 750 students), Meridian High School is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Meridian Elementary School, roughly 0.0 miles away. 3 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a ten-mile radius, suggesting a relatively low-density school footprint. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Meridian High School ranks 7th on composite proficiency, below the local average of 25.2%.

Geographically, the school is in a rural area.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count increased 65%: 125 students in 2018 compared to 206 in 2025. Over the same period, the Black share contracted from 59% to 54%. The student-to-teacher ratio loosened from 12.4:1 in 2018 to 14.3:1 today.

On this page, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.