South Elementary School

Set in Chillicothe, Illinois, South Elementary School is a mid-tier elementary campus, part of Il Valley Central USD 321. It caters to 424 students across grades pre-K through 3.

Across the 6 schools in Il Valley Central USD 321 (2,071 students total), South Elementary School accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

In terms of who attends, South Elementary School records that 91% of students identify as White, making the school strongly White-majority; the rest looks like 4% Hispanic, 3% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 67% White, putting the school's mix visibly more White than the area baseline.

On the income-and-resources front, The school employs 26 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 16.5:1. The state averages around 13.9:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. Roughly 53% of students at South Elementary School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, South Elementary School ranks in the top 10% of Illinois public schools. The BeatsExpectations model, a per-state regression of composite proficiency on FRL share, predicts schools with this student profile to land around 41.0%; South Elementary School posts 57.8%, +16.8 points above that line.

In the broader community, Peoria County reports that the typical household earns roughly $65,108 per year, roughly 35% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 10% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Peoria County's 81 public schools (combined enrollment of about 27,827 students), South Elementary School is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Il Valley Central High School, around 0.5 miles off. Within five miles, there are 3 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts South Elementary School at 3rd of 9; the average score across the group is 49.8%.

South Elementary School operates from an outer-ring location.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count held roughly steady: 429 students in 2018 compared to 424 in 2025.

On allk12, posts here usually surface around school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.