Unity Point Elem School

As a high-enrollment elementary school in Carbondale, Illinois, Unity Point Elem School teaches 620 students from grades pre-K through 8, one of the schools within Unity Point CCSD 140. Compared to the state average of about 381 students per school, that is 63% above typical.

Unity Point CCSD 140 is the operating authority for Unity Point Elem School, handling staffing, calendars, and reporting to the state department of education.

On the student-mix side, Unity Point Elem School reports that the largest single group is White, at 55% of enrollment. Other groups include 15% Hispanic, 14% Black, 9% multiracial, 6% Asian. That is visibly less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 73%.

On the resource side, Staff filings list 52 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 11.9:1 students per teacher. The state averages around 13.9:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. About 55% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. That share is lower than Jackson County's rate of about 73%.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Unity Point Elem School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 40.0% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 51.8%.

Zooming out to the county, census data for Jackson County shows median household income runs about $48,763, roughly 36% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 11% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Jackson County runs 32 public schools (combined enrollment of about 6,811 students), of which Unity Point Elem School is one.

Giant City Elem School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 3.0 miles from this campus. 6 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 7 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Unity Point Elem School ranks 3rd on composite proficiency, ahead of the local average of 38.1%.

The campus sits in a rural setting.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count fell 9%: 682 students in 2018 compared to 620 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share contracted from 63% to 55%. The student-to-teacher ratio fell from 13.0:1 in 2018 to 11.9:1 today.

On this page, members of the Unity Point Elem School community share and discuss classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Members of the school community can share what they know.