October 30, 2026
Dear Bluford USD #318 Community,
The Illinois State Board of Education has released the annual Illinois Report Card for Bluford Unit Schools https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/. The Report Card contains district and school performance data from the 2025-2026 school year. Designations for our schools are as follows:
Bluford Grade School - Comprehensive
Webber High School - Commendable
I want to explain a few metrics on the new report cards, as the new ratings might pose questions for families. The Illinois State Board of Education changed its scoring metrics, now using a system that shifted away from grading schools on a curve toward fixed performance standards.
In past years, our proficiency and growth levels resulted in Commendable scores. Even with increases in each subarea (shown below), our grade school was not rated as Commendable. The major areas for grading include Academic Proficiency, Academic Growth, Consistent Attendance, Climate Survey (completion - not rankings), and Graduation Rates for High Schools. The highest emphasis is on proficiency and growth.
There are many positive areas to highlight for both schools on our 2025-2026 Report Card. We are proud to see increases in the following areas compared to the previous school year:
Grade School Specific:
ELA Proficiency increased by 9.7%
Math Proficiency increased by 1.1%
Science Proficiency increased by 15.9%
ELA and Math Growth and Proficiency remained near steady at BGS
High School Specific:
ELA Proficiency - 13% increase
Math Proficiency - 8.3% increase
ELA Growth at state average (50%), with a 12.6% growth over previous
Math Growth near state average (50%), with 3.1% growth over previous
Science Proficiency - 20.4% increase
9th Grade on Track - 96.3% which is above state average
93.9% Graduation Rate
Attendance rate at/above state average - both schools
Below state average class sizes - both schools
These are just a few highlights from our overall report card. These results reflect the investments we have made in programs and staff. Our Board of Education, staff, and administrators, in partnership with you, are continuing to focus on rigorous curriculum, student engagement, and student opportunities.
When looking at the scores, there are many metrics on the report card. One cannot simply look at the new summative designation “House” model for comparison. Dropdown boxes throughout the report card tell a greater story, in a positive way.
As we recognize positive areas in our report card scores, we also recognize areas for improvement in both schools. We have been putting continuous improvement plans in place for three school years now, before we were in a comprehensive status. This shows the dedication of our staff, administrators, and the Board of Education’s intent to strive for excellence in academics. These measures were put into place prior to our report card information getting released.
Focus areas include:
Continuing to increase Academic Achievement in Proficiency and Growth
Increasing participation in the climate survey - the percentage listed is the number of students who took the survey, not how they responded.
**We are scored based on participation levels on the survey, not content. We understand parents' ability to opt-out students from the survey, but it still counts against our participation rate. We encourage all students and families to take the survey - all data is anonymous!
Continue increasing/maintaining consistent attendance and graduation rate
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at 618-732-8242. Trojans Together, One Nation Forever! Go Trojans!
Yours for Better Schools,
Dr. Adam J. Cross
Superintendent