Sterling Middle School

Located at 2315 N Sterling Ave, in Peoria, Illinois, Sterling Middle School is a cozy intermediate school that instructs 374 students (grades 5 through 8), operated by Peoria SD 150.

Sterling Middle School is one of 25 schools operated by Peoria SD 150, a district that enrolls 13,312 students overall.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Sterling Middle School shows that the largest single group is Black, at 74% of enrollment; the rest reads as 11% multiracial, 8% White, 6% Hispanic. That is considerably more Black than the county at large, where the share is closer to 17%.

In terms of school funding signals, The school currently runs with 25 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 14.8:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.0:1, putting Sterling Middle School higher than the state norm the norm. An estimated 89% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. That share is above Peoria County's rate of about 57%.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Sterling Middle School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 20.4%; this one delivers 9.4%.

In the area at large, the surrounding county (Peoria County) reports that median household earnings sit near $65,108, 35% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 10%. Across Peoria County's 81 public schools (combined enrollment of about 27,827 students), Sterling Middle School is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Dr Maude A Sanders Primary School, around 0.9 miles off. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Sterling Middle School at 7th of 9; the average score across the group is 17.4%.

The school occupies a city-core site.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Sterling Middle School has decreased 12%, going from 423 students in 2018 to 374 in 2025. The Black share of enrollment grew from 66% to 74% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio widened from 13.7:1 in 2018 to 14.8:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, members of the Sterling Middle School community share and discuss classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. The community welcomes input from current and former families.