The top reported proficiency rate is 76% in English language arts. The lowest is 71% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Meridian School
Meridian School is a small upper-elementary school serving grades four and five in Buffalo Grove, a quiet residential suburb in northwest Lake County. The school enrolls a small student body, with enrollment concentrated in these two grades. The student body is predominantly Asian, with smaller populations of white, Hispanic, and other racial and ethnic groups represented. Free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility data was not available, so a reader cannot determine poverty concentration from the provided information.
On state assessments administered in spring 2025, Meridian's fourth and fifth graders posted solid proficiency results. In fourth-grade math, roughly three-quarters of students tested met proficiency. In fourth-grade English language arts, roughly three-quarters also proficient. Fifth-grade performance was comparable: about seven-tenths reached proficiency in math, and about three-quarters in ELA. In science, assessed at fifth grade only, about seven-tenths of students met the proficiency bar. Test participation rates were very high, near full enrollment in all grades, suggesting the school has effective systems for getting students to take the assessments. Proficiency results across these subjects and grades place Meridian in the top quartile among Lake County districts on a composite proficiency index, a meaningful position.
Third-grade assessment data was not available, which is typical because the district tests reading and math at that grade, but those results either were not published or appear not to be part of the current reporting. Testing stops at fifth grade for this school by design; Meridian serves only grades four and five, so sixth- through eighth-grade data would not apply to this entity. A reader comparing Meridian to the wider set of Lake County schools should note this limitation: the school's position reflects outcomes in only these two grades.
The school sits within Aptakisic-Tripp Community Consolidated School District 102, a small district serving Buffalo Grove and nearby areas. In April 2023, district voters narrowly approved a building bond, a milestone that carried real consequences. The bond is funding facility upgrades across the district: safety and security improvements, mechanical system replacements, renovated instructional spaces including new science classrooms and STEM labs, and a new gymnasium at the junior high school. For a family purchasing a home in the district median-priced range, the bond carries an ongoing annual property-tax increase that would be material to a household budget; a parent may want to factor this into the cost of housing in the area.
Buffalo Grove itself is a mature suburban village with post-World War II single-family housing stock, complemented by 1980s and 1990s growth on the Lake County side. The community is auto-oriented: shopping and commercial activity are dispersed along arterial roads rather than concentrated in a walkable downtown, and schools sit on separate campuses within subdivisions. The median home value in the 60089 zip code (which includes Meridian's address) is in the mid-range for the region, and has appreciated modestly in recent years. Rents in the area are moderate for the Chicagoland suburbs. Buffalo Grove offers parks managed by the park district, forest preserve trails, two municipal golf courses, and two library districts. Transit access includes two Metra stations on the North Central Service. Several major redevelopment projects are reshaping the village: The Clove, a new mixed-use district with apartments and retail built on the former town center, is under construction with expected openings through 2027; Bison Crossing is converting a former auto dealership into luxury housing and a Tesla sales center; and Link Crossing is adding single-family homes around a creek greenway. Population has been stable rather than rapidly growing in recent years.
A parent considering Meridian should understand that it serves only two grades, making it one leg of a student's elementary pathway rather than a full K-8 experience. State testing data shows solid academic performance in math, reading, and science, with results well-positioned within the Lake County district comparison set. The school draws from a diverse, affluent suburban community with material housing costs and an active school district that has recently made facility investments supported by taxpayer debt. A parent may want to look into the school's transition practices, as students leaving Meridian will move to middle school elsewhere in the district.
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