The top reported proficiency rate is 31% in English language arts. The lowest is 29% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Lincoln Elem School
Lincoln Elementary is a mid-sized prekindergarten through grade 5 school serving a community with deep economic ties to manufacturing and a notable shift in local conditions. The school enrolls a diverse student body, with roughly half identifying as Hispanic, a substantial share as white, and smaller numbers of Black and multiracial students. The demographic composition reflects Belvidere's broader character as a mixed-ethnicity small industrial city.
Test results from spring 2025 show math and English language arts proficiency rates that are notably low. In third grade, roughly one-third of students met the Illinois proficiency standard in math; in fourth grade that dropped to just under one-third; by fifth grade it fell to one-fifth. English language arts proficiency was similarly modest, ranging from about one-quarter of third graders to about one-third of fourth and fifth graders. In fifth grade science, about one-third of students achieved proficiency. Statewide testing data does not extend to grades below third grade, and grade 6 and above are not served by this school, so no testing data exists for those levels. When positioned against the two other districts in Boone County that reported proficiency results, Lincoln's overall performance falls into the bottom quartile on a proficiency index across tested subjects. A parent may want to look into what academic supports the school is providing to students and whether the school has identified root causes and an action plan for addressing these results.
The school's enrollment is stable at roughly mid-range size for an elementary building in its grade band. The school does not report participation in federal free and reduced price meal programs, nor does it report special education or English learner population data, so the extent to which the school's student population faces economic hardship or language barriers remains unknown from the available data.
Belvidere itself is a historic city about 75 miles northwest of Chicago, known for its downtown brick core, restored neighborhoods, and public parks and libraries. Its economic anchor has long been the Stellantis (formerly Chrysler) assembly plant, which employs thousands and is the city's largest employer. The plant was idled in February 2023, but in October 2025 the company announced it would reopen in 2027 with a major investment, a development publicly reported as significant good news for the city's job market and stability. Housing in the area is moderately affordable relative to the national benchmark, with median home values and rents both tracking below state and national figures. The city has adopted a downtown façade grant program to encourage renovation and reinvestment in the historic core.
At the district level, Belvidere Community Unit School District 100 is undergoing enrollment consolidation. In April 2026 the school board voted to close Perry Elementary School at the end of the school year after more than a century of operation. Families from Perry are being reassigned to other buildings, including Lincoln, through a lottery process. This closure reflects enrollment declines across the district and suggests that larger school reorganization may be underway. Beginning in the 2025-26 school year, the district also implemented a new cell phone policy requiring elementary students to keep devices in lockers all day, which shapes how families and schools communicate and alters classroom dynamics.
Lincoln Elementary is a neighborhood school embedded in a small city navigating significant economic and enrollment transitions. The proficiency data indicates a need for careful review of instructional strategies and student supports. A parent evaluating this school would benefit from conversations with the building principal about specific academic initiatives, recent trends in student growth, and how the school is preparing for the absorption of Perry families in the coming year.
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