Illinois School Report Cards Are In: See How Oswego District 308 Did

OSWEGO, IL — Despite three years of challenges surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, Oswego Community Unit School District 308 saw improvements at its schools, according to state education officials.

The Illinois State Board of Education released on Oct. 27 its report card for public school districts across the state, providing information about academic performance, teachers, students, administrators and school environment.

The Illinois Report Card rated seven District 308 schools as "exemplary" and 13 as "commendable." The 10 schools once "designated for improvement" exited the category, meaning no district schools received the lowest designation. The only school not given a summative designation is Brokaw Early Learning Center.

Officials noted students' academic growth "slowed considerably" during the pandemic but cited the number of students meeting or exceeding targets in mathematics as being up 3.4 percent.

"While not yet at pre-pandemic achievement, the district is outpacing growth by over 3% as compared to statewide numbers," District 308 officials said in a news release.

Officials credited District 308's progress to recruiting and hiring additional staff to provide academic and behavioral support, saying there is "ongoing work to improve the climate for learning to cultivate safe spaces for all staff and students to learn and grow in."

"Even though all schools have faced many challenges over the past few years, our schools are continuing to improve," Superintendent John W. Sparlin said in a statement. "I am very impressed with the ongoing efforts of our staff and community to partner in empowering our students; engaging, supporting, and succeeding."

At a glance

The state report card offers a snapshot of District 308's performance including:

• Graduation rate: 95.7 percent. State average: 87.3 percent
• Student mobility (Percentage of students who experienced at least one transfer in or out of the school between the first school day of October and the last school day of the year, not including graduates): 5.5 percent. State average: 7.6 percent
• Chronic absenteeism: 20 percent. State average: 29.8 percent
• Funding: Spending per student: $13,202, up 3.06 percent from the previous year
• Teacher retention: 90.7 percent. State average: 87.6 percent
• Student-to-teacher ratio:
  • Elementary school: 19:1. State average: 17:1
  • High school: 21:1. State average: 18:1

The full report card for District 308 can be found on ISBE's website.