South West Illinois News

In the two years after 93% of Waterloo High School's class of 2017 graduated on time, 40 percent of those who attended Illinois community colleges had to enroll in remedial courses because they weren't prepared for college-level classes, according to data from the Illinois State Board of Education.

Data from the class that graduated in 2017 shows 75 percent of Waterloo students enrolled in two- or four-year programs at college or university within 12 months of graduating high school, compared to 70 percent across the state. After 16 months, the rate was 80 percent.

Of the Waterloo graduates attending Illinois community colleges, 11 percent took remedial courses in reading, while 36 percent took them in math and 13 percent took them in communications.

Statewide, 44 percent of students enrolled in community colleges across the state had to take remedial classes.