by Sarah DeMaranville
Geneseo Current
GENESEO, IL — The newly released 2026 Illinois School Report Card provides an updated look at student achievement, academic growth, attendance, graduation rates, staffing, and finances across Geneseo Community Unit School District 228.
The results include Exemplary designations for Geneseo High School and Millikin Elementary, a 97.2% four-year high school graduation rate, and a 97.2% ninth-grade on-track rate. The report also documents differences in academic proficiency, student growth, chronic absenteeism, and teacher retention across the district's five schools.
The annual report card, published by the Illinois State Board of Education, provides information intended to help families and communities understand school performance.
Superintendent Dr. Laura Delgado credited the district's students, educators, staff and families for the results.
"We are incredibly proud of the work taking place across our entire district and the dedication of every school community in supporting student success," Delgado said. "These accomplishments reflect the commitment of our teachers and staff, the hard work and perseverance of our students, and the strong partnerships we share with families and our community."
Two Schools Receive Exemplary Designations
Geneseo High School and Millikin Elementary received Exemplary designations, the highest classification under Illinois' school accountability system.
Geneseo Middle School received an Approaching Exemplary designation, while Northside Elementary and Southwest Elementary received Commendable designations.
High School Graduation and Postsecondary Enrollment
Geneseo High School reported a four-year graduation rate of 97.2%. The five-year graduation rate was 97.9%, and the six-year rate was 98.4%. These measures reflect different graduating cohorts and provide additional information about students completing high school within different timeframes.
The school's ninth-grade on-track rate was also 97.2%. This measure identifies students who have earned sufficient credits and met other state criteria indicating progress toward graduation.
The report card also showed that 72.4% of Geneseo High School graduates enrolled in postsecondary education within 12 months of graduation.
English Language Arts and Mathematics Performance
Districtwide, 62.1% of students met proficiency standards in English language arts, compared with 44.3% in mathematics.
At Geneseo High School, English language arts proficiency was 64.8%, while mathematics proficiency was 52.0%.
Geneseo Middle School reported 61.7% proficiency in English language arts and 38.2% in mathematics.
Among the elementary schools, Northside reported the highest English language arts proficiency rate at 65.2%, followed by Millikin at 62.9% and Southwest at 51.4%.
Mathematics proficiency was 44.0% at Southwest, 43.9% at Millikin and 37.7% at Northside.
Academic Growth Varies Among Schools
In addition to proficiency, the Illinois School Report Card measures academic growth, which reflects student progress relative to academic peers.
Millikin Elementary reported an English language arts growth percentile of 58.1, followed by Northside at 51.0 and Southwest at 44.2.
Geneseo Middle School reported an English language arts growth percentile of 44.8. The districtwide figure was 47.4.
A growth percentile of 50 represents approximately typical academic growth compared with students who have similar prior achievement.
Student Attendance and Chronic Absenteeism
Districtwide student attendance was 94.8%.
Millikin Elementary and Southwest Elementary each reported attendance rates of 95.1%, while Northside Elementary reported 94.1%.
The report card also measures chronic absenteeism, generally defined as missing 10% or more of enrolled school days, including both excused and unexcused absences.
Geneseo High School reported a chronic absenteeism rate of 16.0%, followed by Northside Elementary at 14.2%. Geneseo Middle School and Millikin Elementary each reported 9.3%, while Southwest Elementary reported 7.6%.
Teacher Experience and Retention
The district reported an average of 14.3 years of teaching experience, with 49.6% of teachers holding a master's degree or higher.
Districtwide teacher retention was 90.4%.
At the school level, Geneseo High School reported a retention rate of 91.6%, followed by Southwest Elementary at 89.7%, Geneseo Middle School at 88.1%, Millikin Elementary at 88.0% and Northside Elementary at 76.7%.
Northside's reported retention rate was 13.7 percentage points below the districtwide figure.
Teacher retention measures the percentage of teachers who remain employed at the same school from one reporting period to the next. The figures do not identify whether departures resulted from retirement, transfers, resignations or other circumstances.
District Revenue and Per-Pupil Spending
The report card also provides financial information about district revenue sources and school-level expenditures.
Geneseo CUSD 228 reported approximately $37.13 million in total revenue, including $23.14 million from local property taxes. Property taxes accounted for approximately 62.3% of reported revenue.
The report card's expenditure measures included approximately $43.12 million in total reported expenditures.
Total per-pupil expenditures varied across the district's schools.
Geneseo High School reported approximately $17,015 per pupil, followed by Geneseo Middle School at $15,433, Southwest Elementary at $14,636, Millikin Elementary at $14,256 and Northside Elementary at $13,478.
Per-pupil expenditure figures include both school-level spending and allocated districtwide costs. Differences may reflect staffing, grade levels, educational programs, student services and other operational factors.
Understanding the Results
The 2026 Illinois School Report Card documents several outcomes across Geneseo CUSD 228, including two Exemplary school designations, high graduation and ninth-grade on-track rates, and differences in academic proficiency, attendance, and staffing.
Board of Education member Kane Causemaker congratulated the district's schools and emphasized the importance of continued investment in education.
"These recognitions reflect the progress being made across our district and reinforce the importance of continuing to invest in our students, our staff, and the opportunities that help every student reach their full potential," Causemaker said.
Delgado also pointed to the district's five-year strategic plan as a guide for future improvement.
"As we look ahead, our five-year strategic plan serves as a roadmap, guiding our collective efforts, strengthening our schools, and keeping us focused on our shared vision of ensuring every student has the opportunity to succeed," she said.
The report card represents a snapshot of performance for the applicable reporting periods. Comparisons with previous years, statewide averages, and student demographic information can provide additional context for understanding the district's results.
For Geneseo families and taxpayers, the annual report offers a publicly available source of information about how the district's schools are performing across a range of educational and operational measures.
Source: Illinois State Board of Education, 2026 Illinois School Report Card Public Data Set, Geneseo Community Unit School District 228 and individual school records.