Sangamon Sun

In the 2022-23 school year, 47.7% of the students in Community Unit School District 16 passed the ELA portion of the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR), according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Of the 333 students in Community Unit School District 16 who took the ELA portion of the test, approximately 159 (47.7%) passed.

The percentage of Community Unit School District 16 students who met or exceeded expectations on the IAR increased by 18.9% compared to the previous school year.

Community Unit School District 16 roughly covers three schools within Sangamon County and has a main office in New Berlin.

The Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) assesses the progress of students in grades 3-8 in meeting the Illinois Learning Standards in English language arts and mathematics.

Illinois has approved a new budget for 2025 that increases funds for K-12 education to $8.6 billion, $350 million above last year’s budget. Lawmakers also approved a new bill that creates a statewide child tax credit, which allows families to receive $300 per child under 17 years. This comes after a similar aid was granted from the federal government, as part of the American Rescue Plan.

School	District	Students who met standards (%)	Students who exceed standards (%)
New Berlin Junior High School	Community Unit School District 16	46.7%	11.4%
New Berlin Elementary School	Community Unit School District 16	35.5%	1.8%