The top reported proficiency rate is 41% in Math. The lowest is 39% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Shabbona Elem School
Shabbona Elementary serves kindergarten through third grade in Bourbonnais, a mid-sized suburban village in Kankakee County just south of the Chicago region. The school is a regular public elementary, not a charter, housed in a traditional setting with a small overall enrollment.
The school's academic standing reflects recent pandemic recovery. On the Illinois Assessment of Readiness in the most recent reported year, third-grade proficiency in math reached about forty percent and in English language arts about thirty-nine percent. These results place Shabbona below the midpoint among the county's districts when measured by overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. Grade four and above are not part of Shabbona's grade band, so state testing results for those grades do not apply. Participation in state testing was complete where assessments were given.
The student body is diverse. Just over half the enrollment is white, with meaningful representation from Black and Hispanic students and smaller populations of Asian students and students of two or more races. Racial demographic data was available; free-or-reduced-price-lunch counts and rates were not reported in the available data. Likewise, the count of students with individualized education plans and students designated as English learners were not disclosed. A parent may want to look into these details directly with the school to understand student support infrastructure and the scale of need.
Bourbonnais itself is growing. The village has been adding residential development on its northwestern edge, and a new subdivision is in planning stages nearby. Home values in the area have risen modestly year over year. The community anchors itself in parks, including Perry Farm Park with trails along the Kankakee River, civic events, and a traditional downtown. Olivet Nazarene University and a shared high school campus with neighboring Bradley are also part of the local landscape.
The school district, Bourbonnais SD 53, recently received recognition on a national list of districts that had fully recovered academically from pandemic disruption, a meaningful signal given that the district had previously lagged national averages. At the same time, the district has committed substantial resources to facilities. In early 2025, the board approved issuing bonds to fund health and life safety code improvements at Shabbona and other elementary buildings. For the 2025 tax year, the district requested a levy increase, which directly raises the school portion of local property taxes. Parents considering Shabbona should be aware that the district is managing aging infrastructure through a multi-year funding plan and associated property tax obligations.
The school's address is 813 W Burns Road. Participation in testing was full where assessments applied. Beyond the third-grade results shown, state science testing data was not available for recent years. The school sits within the broader district context of recovery and renewal.
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