Tri-Valley Elem School

Tri-Valley Elem School operates as a low-enrollment elementary school in Downs, Illinois, one of the schools within Tri Valley CUSD 3. Current enrollment sits at 295 students spanning grades pre-K through 3. Compared to the state average of about 381 students per school, that is 23% leaner than typical.

Tri Valley CUSD 3 comprises 3 schools with combined enrollment of 1,074 students; Tri-Valley Elem School is among them.

On demographics, Tri-Valley Elem School logs that 89% of students identify as White, making the school strongly White-majority; the rest is composed of 5% multiracial, 4% Hispanic. That is visibly more White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 78%.

Looking at school resources, On paper, Tri-Valley Elem School has 25 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 11.8:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.9:1, putting Tri-Valley Elem School tighter than the state norm the norm. About 19% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. Set against McLean County (around 40%), the school's rate is meaningfully below typical.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Tri-Valley Elem School sits in the top 10% of Illinois schools after the BeatsExpectations adjustment. Predicted proficiency for the school's FRL share is roughly 60.8%; actual is 82.3%, +21.6 points clear of the demographic baseline.

Zooming out to the county, community-level numbers for McLean County indicate median household income runs about $79,905, roughly 47% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 7%. Tri-Valley Elem School is one of 60 public schools in McLean County (combined enrollment of about 23,759 students).

The closest other public school is Tri-Valley High School, roughly 0.1 miles away. Within five miles, there are 4 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Tri-Valley Elem School at 1st of 9; the average score across the group is 49.9%.

Geographically, the school is in a rural area.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count edged down 26%: 397 students in 2018 compared to 295 in 2025. The student-to-teacher ratio tightened from 15.9:1 in 2018 to 11.8:1 today.

On this page, posts here usually surface around pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.