2021
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NBRS Badge for Eldorado Middle School

Eldorado Middle School - Eldorado, IL

Learning in progress

Learning in progress

Eldorado Middle School is a public school that consists of 6th-8th grade students. We are located in the southern part of Illinois and are surrounded by corn fields and coal mines that have been shut down. On average, we have around 230 students and 30 staff members per school year. We are the home of the "Eagles" and we take great pride in that. Our school journey to improve our culture started around seven years ago.

Seven years ago, our test scores were some of the lowest in the area and quite honestly we were embarrassed. Our percentage of students who met or exceeded in math was eight percent and 15 percent in ELA. We knew we had a great staff and a building full of kids that could do better. We had to find a way.

One of the first decisions we made as a staff was to start building positive relationships with our students. We knew that even though we lived in the same area, our lives could be completely different than that of our students. It was important for us to understand and have empathy for the students in our school. This has become a strength of our teachers and support staff. We also knew that if we could make that connection with our students, our test scores would come up. This component was the difference maker for us.

In the past few years we have seen our scores grow gradually from 8 to 24 percent meeting or exceeding in Math. Our ELA has seen an increase from 15 percent to almost 50 percent meeting and exceeding expectations. We have also seen our discipline go down and our community trust and interactions go up. Building relationships is now a pillar in our school.

2021 Awardee

Eldorado Middle School

1907 1st Street
Eldorado, IL, 62930-2103

(618) 273-8056

Principal at time of Nomination:
Mr. Billy Tippett

Eldorado Community Unit School District 4

Rural or small city/town

School Website

School Facebook

Mission

The mission of the faculty and staff at Eldorado Middle School is to develop knowledge, academic skills, self-esteem, and self-discipline in each student to be successful in life.

Student Demographics

  • Asian: 1%
  • Hispanic: 1%
  • White: 91%
  • Two or more races: 7%
  • Application