Tri-Valley Community Unit School District 3

Tri-Valley Community Unit School District 3
Address
410 E Washington Street
Downs
, Illinois
United States
Coordinates40°23.6652′N 88°52.002′W / 40.3944200°N 88.866700°W / 40.3944200; -88.866700
District information
TypeUnified school district
GradesK to 12
SuperintendentBen Derges
NCES District ID1713920[1]
Students and staff
Enrollment1080 (2023–2024)
Teachers82.50 - Teachers(on an FTE basis)[1]
Staff81.80 - Other Staff(on an FTE basis)[1]
Student–teacher ratio13:1[1]
District mascotVikings
Colors  Blue   Gold
Other information
Websitewww.tri-valley3.org

Tri-Valley Community Unit School District 3 is a unit school district located in Downs, Illinois, a village in McLean County. It has a student count of 1,080.[2] The school district is composed of three schools, Tri-Valley Elementary School,[3] Tri-Valley Middle School,[4] and Tri-Valley High school[5]

Administration

Unit Office Department

  • Ben Derges - Superintendent[6]
  • Amy Bunn - Assistant Executive Secretary
  • Samantha Boward - Instructional Curriculum Director[7]

Principals

  • Frank Arnolts - High School Principal
  • Sara Burnett - Middle School Principal
  • Tyler Swearingen - Elementary School Principal[7]

History

The schooling in the Downs area dates back to 1842, a one-room Spring School House. In 1895 due to an increase in population the school expanded into the Kickapoo Union School District. Around 1902 the one building school district eventually expanded into the present-day three building Tri-Valley School District.[8]

Standing

As of the 2025-26 School year, the school ranks #2 in Bloomington, IL Metro Area High Schools, #56 in Illinois High Schools, and #1374 in National Rankings.[9]

Scorecard[9][10]
MetricPercentage
Took at Least One AP Exam69%
Passed at Least One AP Exam38%
Mathematics Proficiency53%
Reading Proficiency55%
Graduation Rate99%

Demographics

For the 2023–24 academic year, Tri-Valley High School enrolled 313 students, according to the NCES. The school employed 24.55 (FTE) teachers, resulting in a student to teacher ratio of 12.75:1.[11]

Enrollment by race and ethnicity (2023–24)[11]
Race and ethnicity† Enrolled pupils Percentage
African American 2 0.6%
Asian 3 0.9%
Hispanic 8 2%
Native American 0 0%
White 296 94%
Native Hawaiian, Pacific islander 0 0%
Multi-race 4 1%
Total 313 100%
† "Hispanic" includes Hispanics of any race. All other categories refer to non-Hispanics.
Enrollment by gender (2023–24)[11]
Gender Enrolled pupils Percentage
Female 160 51%
Male 153 49%
Non-binary Not Listed NaN
Total 313 100%

Athletics

The Tri-Valley Vikings compete in the Heart of Illinois Conference (Large Division) and are members of the Illinois High School Association.

Sports

The following sports are offered:[12]

Achievements

  • Football: Tri-Valley won the IHSA Class 2A State Championship in 2015.[13][14][15]
  • Track and Field: Stephanie Brown set the IHSA Class 1A record in the 800-meter run (2:09.12) in 2009.[16][17]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for Tri-Valley CUSD 3". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved 2025-11-06.
  2. ↑ "Tri Valley Community Unified School District 3 Overview". USNews. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Elementary School". Tri-Valley CUSD #3. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Middle School". Tri-Valley CUSD #3. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
  5. ↑ "High School". Tri-Valley CUSD #3. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
  6. ↑ Stock, Eric (December 17, 2021). "Tri-Valley names its high school principal to fill the superintendent role". WGLT. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
  7. 1 2 "Tri-Valley Staff Page". Tri-Valley CUSD #3 Official Website. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Downs History". Village of Downs Official Website. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
  9. 1 2 "Overview of Tri-Valley High School". USNews. Retrieved November 6, 2025.
  10. ↑ Bees, Kevin (October 30, 2025). "McLean County schools help state to highest graduation rate in 15 years". McLean Chronicles. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
  11. 1 2 3 "Tri-Valley High School NCES Directory". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
  12. ↑ "School Details". Illinois High School Association. Retrieved April 3, 2026.
  13. ↑ "IHSA: Illinois High School Association". www.ihsa.org. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
  14. ↑ Duncan, Austin (November 27, 2015). ""Tri-Valley wins Class 2A state title"". WJBC. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
  15. ↑ Clark, Mike (November 27, 2015). "2A final: Tri-Valley runs over Auburn for state title". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
  16. ↑ "IHSA Girls Track & Field Event Records". www.ihsa.org. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
  17. ↑ Sharer, Randy (May 27, 2020). "Randy Sharer's top five games: No. 4, Stephanie Brown's 2009 relay miracle for Tri-Valley echoes through the ages". The Pantagraph. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
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