Effingham High School Earns Highest State Performance Designation; Three Additional Unit 40 Schools Recognized 

 Effingham Unit 40 Schools is celebrating strong results in the 2026 Illinois School Report Card, highlighted by Effingham High School earning an overall Exemplary designation, the highest of five performance designations awarded to Illinois schools.

Summative Designations provide a measure of school performance and progress in academic achievement and student success. Schools are evaluated using several contributing metrics, including graduation rates, student attendance, academic growth, and proficiency.

Effingham High School’s Exemplary designation reflects strong performance across these areas and represents an important achievement for the school and the entire Unit 40 community.

“We are incredibly proud of this accomplishment and the collective effort behind it,” said Superintendent Andrew Johnson. “An Exemplary designation does not mean there is no room for improvement. Rather, it recognizes the strengths of our school while providing valuable information to help us continue building on our successes and addressing opportunities for growth. This is an achievement our students, staff, families and community can celebrate together.”

In addition to Effingham High School’s Exemplary designation, three other Unit 40 schools received Approaching Exemplary designations: Effingham Junior High School, Central Grade School and South Side School. The Early Learning Center and East Side Preschool did not have sufficient data to receive Summative Designations.

“This achievement belongs to our entire community,” Johnson added. “We are grateful for the continued support and commitment of everyone who plays a role in helping our students succeed. We encourage our community to join us in celebrating this good news!”