Creston Ccsd 161, IL - District Data

Original Research by School Decision on Creston Ccsd 161

Creston CCSD 161 is a small rural K-8 district in Ogle County, Illinois, serving a student body of roughly eighty students across a single school. The district's enrollment is distributed fairly evenly across grades, with the largest cohorts in grades one and seven, and smaller groups in the early primary years. Racially and ethnically, the enrollment reflects its rural setting: just over half the students are white, roughly a third are Hispanic, and the remainder are Asian, Black, or multiracial. Income and poverty data for the district were not available.

The district's home communities are modest in housing values, centered around the Creston and Rochelle ZIP codes in Ogle County. Home values in the area sit modestly below the state benchmark. The economy is typical of rural north-central Illinois, with a stable unemployment rate and median household incomes in the mid-range for the state. Publicly reported, the district has referenced a 2024-2029 strategic plan on its site, but specific initiatives from recent years did not surface in available reporting.

Academic performance shows a mixed picture across tested grades and subjects. In fourth-grade math, proficiency is in the middle range. Fifth-grade math is a strength, with strong proficiency. By eighth grade, math proficiency drops to the lower side. In English language arts, fourth grade shows low proficiency; fifth grade is moderate; and eighth grade is markedly stronger. Science proficiency in fifth grade is notably low, while eighth-grade science is substantially higher. Grade three across both math and ELA, along with sixth and seventh grades in multiple subjects, did not have available test results; this may reflect small cohort sizes or testing exemptions at those levels.

When compared against the other districts in Ogle County, Creston CCSD 161's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile countywide. The district's chronic absenteeism rate sits above the county median, meaning more students miss school frequently than in a typical county district. Per-pupil spending is in the upper-middle range for the county.

The district operates a single building, Creston Elementary School. The enrollment is small enough that most students likely move on to a high school outside this district at grade nine. For families in this rural area, Creston CCSD 161 offers K-8 education with uneven subject and grade-level performance, stronger overall performance relative to neighboring rural districts, but also an elevated rate of chronic absenteeism that a parent may want to look into further with the school.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

Grades

KG–08

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 36%

Black 5%

White 55%

Asian 1%

Two+ 3%

Schools in this District

1 schools are officially reported under this district.

Creston Elem School

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

3 grades reported

67%

Grade 4

90%

Grade 5

60%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

3 grades reported

33%

Grade 4

60%

Grade 5

80%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

30%

Grade 5

70%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$212,196

Year-over-year change+7.0%

Range across 4 ZIP codes$198K to $274K

vs. state typical0.73x

vs. national typical0.58x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (4 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
61068	Rochelle	$204K	+6.8%	83.9%
60150	Malta	$273K	+8.3%	10.4%
60553	Lee	$274K	+8.9%	0.8%
60113	Creston	$198K	+16.6%	0.3%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$1,071/mo

Home price / national median income2.5x

Comparison

State typical home value$290,210 (+4.9% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.