The top reported proficiency rate is 69% in Science. The lowest is 60% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Eastland Elementary School
Eastland Elementary School sits in Shannon, a small rural village in northern Illinois where agriculture, light manufacturing, and small-scale commerce shape daily life. The school serves grades pre-K through five in a deliberately compact setting: the enrollment is small, with just over three hundred students spread across seven grade levels. The school itself is located on Chestnut Street in the village proper, not on a separated campus.
The student body is predominantly white, with modest representation across other racial and ethnic groups. Free-and-reduced-price lunch rates were not reported in available data, so a parent may want to look into that directly with the school to understand the economic makeup of the enrollment. Special education and English learner participation counts are also not publicly available for this school, which means a parent with students in those categories should ask the school directly about resources and services.
Academic performance on Illinois state testing reveals a school in transition. In grade three, proficiency in both math and English language arts runs in the mid-to-high range. By grade four, both subjects hold steady around the low-to-mid range. Grade five shows a notable dip in math and a softer performance in ELA as well. By grade six, math proficiency rises slightly, and ELA sits at a similar point. Science results for grade five show solid proficiency. Testing participation is strong across the school; virtually all students take the assessments when they are administered.
When compared against the three other districts in Carroll County, Eastland Elementary's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile for the county, a meaningful position that reflects relative strength among its immediate geographic neighbors, though parents should understand this is a county-level comparison and not a state-wide one. The dip in performance from grade four to five, particularly in math, is visible in the data and a parent may want to explore with the school what shifts in instruction or student support happen at that transition point.
The school operates as a regular public elementary school within the Eastland Community Unit School District 308, which also runs a combined middle-and-high school (grades six through twelve) based in the neighboring town of Lanark. This means that after fifth grade, students leave Shannon for secondary education. No recent district-wide policy changes or referenda of lasting parental significance were identified in available sources.
The housing market in the Shannon area shows modest appreciation. Home values have grown at a moderate pace, and mortgage payments remain accessible relative to local income, though rental costs are tighter. The village itself has stable but slow population growth, and the median age suggests a mix of established families and older residents rather than a young, booming demographic.
Staffing counts and per-pupil spending were not reported in the data. State assessment data does not carry multi-year trend information, so it is not possible to say whether recent performance represents improvement, decline, or stability from prior years. The school's website was also not available in the records provided, so parents should visit directly to learn about specific programs, classroom philosophy, and community engagement opportunities.
This is a small-town elementary school serving a tight-knit rural community. The academic profile shows competence in the early grades with some softening in the upper elementary years; families considering this school should have a direct conversation with school leadership about instructional supports at grade transitions and any available acceleration or intervention pathways.
See more original research from School Decision →