Thomas Metcalf School, Normal IL

Original Research by School Decision on Thomas Metcalf School

Thomas Metcalf School serves pre-K through eighth grade in Normal, Illinois, as part of the ISU Laboratory Schools—a unique state-funded school system run by Illinois State University rather than a local school district. The school sits on the ISU campus, which shapes both its governance and its educational character.

The school is moderately sized for its grade span, with enrollment spread relatively evenly across kindergarten through eighth grade. The student body is predominantly white, with Asian, Hispanic, Black, and multiracial students making up smaller shares of enrollment. Free-and-reduced-price-lunch data were not available, which is typical for laboratory schools that serve mixed-income populations including faculty families and others attracted by the school's reputation.

In state testing (IAR for English language arts and math, ISA for science), Metcalf's proficiency rates show a wide range across grades. In math, results are strongest in seventh and eighth grade, where most students score proficient or above, while third and sixth grade show weaker proficiency. English proficiency is stronger overall, with most grades showing solid performance except seventh grade, which drops noticeably. Science proficiency in eighth grade is notably high; fifth-grade science results were also solid. When proficiency rates across all tested grades and subjects are averaged together, Metcalf ranks in the top quartile relative to other school districts in McLean County, though a parent may want to understand which grades or subjects matter most for their own child's trajectory.

The school is in the midst of a structural expansion. Beginning several years ago, Metcalf added a third kindergarten classroom and committed to adding one teacher each year as that new cohort advances through the grades. The district publicly framed the change as an effort to increase student diversity. However, some current parents have expressed concern that the addition will erode the small class sizes and intimate school feel that have historically defined the laboratory school experience. This is a lasting change to enrollment and class composition that a prospective family should weigh, particularly if small school size is a priority.

Staff unionized for the first time in decades in summer 2025, with the Lab School Education Association representing roughly the school's teaching and support staff across both Metcalf and the upper laboratory school. Contract negotiations are underway, which could affect staffing stability, pay, and working conditions going forward.

The school building itself, located on campus, was constructed in the mid-twentieth century and has been flagged as outdated. A replacement has been formally placed on Illinois State University's state capital priority list, though it remains unfunded. A parent choosing Metcalf should understand that the building is aging and that a new facility may eventually be constructed, but this is a long-horizon prospect.

Normal itself is a college town anchored by Illinois State University, with a walkable, newly redeveloped downtown (Uptown Normal) centered adjacent to campus. The town has experienced growth driven by Rivian's electric vehicle manufacturing plant and university expansion, but housing supply has lagged significantly behind demand, pushing rents and purchase prices upward. The town has strong civic infrastructure including a regional Amtrak station, bike trails, and local shops and restaurants. Most families commute locally or work at the university, regional employers like State Farm Insurance, or Rivian.

Metcalf is not a magnet or charter school; it is a regular public laboratory school funded directly by the state. A parent considering it should view it as a specialized but public option, distinct from typical school-district schools, with the advantages and constraints that university oversight and direct state funding entail.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 353%

School 53% · District 53%

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 468%

School 68% · District 68%

▲ 31 pts above state median · ▲ 30 pts above county median

Grade 558%

School 58% · District 58%

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Grade 640%

School 40% · District 40%

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 786%

School 86% · District 86%

▲ 58 pts above state median · ▲ 44 pts above county median

Grade 885%

School 85% · District 85%

▲ 63 pts above state median · ▲ 46 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 366%

School 66% · District 66%

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

Grade 481%

School 81% · District 81%

▲ 33 pts above state median · ▲ 31 pts above county median

Grade 574%

School 74% · District 74%

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 672%

School 72% · District 72%

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 767%

School 67% · District 67%

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 875%

School 75% · District 75%

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Science

Grade 572%

School 72% · District 72%

▲ 35 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

Grade 890%

School 90% · District 90%

▲ 50 pts above state median · ▲ 35 pts above county median

This schoolISU Laboratory Schools, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.