Bethalto’s Parkside Primary School Earns First-Ever ‘Exemplary’ Illinois Report Card Rating
Parkside students excelled in math, reading, writing and attendance, earning top score on state report card.
BETHALTO – Parkside Primary School in Bethalto has officially earned its first-ever “exemplary” Illinois Report Card rating.
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Parkside students and teachers gathered in the school’s gymnasium on the morning of Monday, Nov. 2, 2026 for the exciting announcement, with several special guests in attendance.
Last year’s third grade students, now fourth graders at Meadowbrook Intermediate School, helped Parkside earn the “exemplary” designation with their Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) test scores. The standout students were brought back to Parkside to join the celebration of their hard work, as the school’s current students were encouraged to follow their example.
“To me, ‘exemplary’ shows shows that it’s very exciting to get to come to Parkside,” Principal Abby Carlson said. “It shows that we have the best teachers, the best staff, the best students. I hope that you all really understand and are super proud of yourself.”
Also in attendance were drummers from the Civic Memorial High School Marching Eagles, members of the Bethalto Community Unit School District #8 Board of Education, Assistant Superintendent Alyssa Smith and Superintendent Jill Griffin.
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) introduced a new accountability framework, the “Profile of Performance,” starting with the 2026 Illinois Report Card. The new framework evaluates each school using a broader set of performance indicators than in previous years, when a school’s performance was reduced to a single score and Exemplary designations were limited to a fixed percentage of schools.
Carlson said Parkside students excelled in areas of math, reading, writing and attendance. The school’s second grade class alone boasted an attendance rate of 93%.
While the school’s second graders won’t take the IAR test until next year, Carlson encouraged them to maintain strong attendance levels to help Parkside secure another “exemplary” report card score in 2027.
Carlson also thanked all Parkside teachers and staff for their dedication to education, even on the weekends, which helped make the schools’ first-ever “exemplary” rating possible.
“Our teachers are why we have earned this, friends,” Carlson said. “Look at all the people in this room. This is what an exemplary school looks like.”
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