The truancy rate at Columbia High School stayed flat at 1 percent during the 2016-17 school year, according to a SW Illinois News analysis of the latest Illinois schools report card.

About 99 percent of ninth graders in 2017 were on track to graduate at a school where the four-year graduation rate was 91 percent that year, according to the latest Illinois schools report card by the Illinois State Board of Education.

More than 93 percent of teachers stay at Columbia High School year to year, according to the 2017 three-year average in the latest Illinois schools report card.

In a year when 91 percent of Columbia High School seniors graduated on time, 58 percent of those who attended Illinois community colleges had to enroll in remedial courses.

Career Center of Southern Illinois has one of the best 'on time' graduation rates in the U.S., according to a Higher Education Tribune analysis of federal data.

State residents enrolled at Christian Life College face among the lowest cost of attending four-year in-state colleges and universities in the U.S., according to a Higher Education Tribune analysis of federal data.

Residents in Illinois face some of the steepest cost of attending in-state colleges and universities in the U.S., according to a Higher Education Tribune analysis of federal data.

About 6,193 Southwest Illinois residents – or about 18.9 percent of the region’s population – were on food stamp rolls in January 2017, according to a Southwest Illinois News analysis of 66 Illinois welfare offices

Approximately 1.9 million Illinoisans – or about 15 percent of the state’s population – were on food stamp rolls in January 2017, according to a Prairie State Wire analysis of 66 Illinois welfare offices.

The welfare office in Chester saw food stamp costs rise by 1.76 percent from January 2015 to January 2017, according to a Southwest Illinois News analysis of 66 Illinois welfare offices.

The number of people receiving food stamps in one Randolph County location grew by 4.4 percent as President Trump entered office, according to a SW Illinois News analysis of federal data.

The number of people receiving food stamps in one Southwest Illinois location rose by 4.4 percent as President Trump entered office, according to a Southwest Illinois News analysis of federal data.

The number of food stamp recipients fell over two years at 54 of 66 Illinois welfare offices analyzed by Prairie State Wire.

Despite dismal student performance on annual exams covering math and reading, high school graduation rates remain high across the region, according to a SW Illinois News analysis of 2016 data from the Illinois State Board of Education.

Athletes in Action tracks players with ties to communities within the Metro East Sun coverage area as they compete at the collegiate level. The following football players will compete during the week of Nov. 12 to Nov. 18.

Tri-C Elementary School's 2016 standardized test scores decreased compared to scores from 2015, according to a report recently released by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).

Summersville Grade School's 2016 standardized test scores increased compared to scores from 2015, according to a report recently released by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).

Spring Garden Elementary School's 2016 standardized test scores increased compared to scores from 0, according to a report recently released by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).

Pinckneyville Middle School's 2016 standardized test scores decreased compared to scores from 2015, according to a report recently released by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).

Pinckneyville Elementary School's 2016 standardized test scores decreased compared to scores from 2015, according to a report recently released by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).