The top reported proficiency rate is 6% in English language arts. The lowest is 2% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Penniman Elem School
Penniman Elementary School serves third through fifth grade in Cahokia Heights, an auto-oriented residential suburb in the Metro East region of St. Louis. This is a small elementary school within Cahokia CUSD 187, a district undergoing significant change as it completes construction of a new high school building.
The school faces deep academic challenges that demand immediate attention. On the Illinois Assessment of Readiness in the 2024-2025 school year, proficiency rates across math and English language arts ranged from nearly zero to single digits. In third grade, no students achieved proficiency in English language arts, and only a handful did so in math. Fourth grade saw modest gains, with roughly one in eight students proficient in ELA and roughly one in sixteen in math. Fifth grade dropped again, with proficiency near zero in math and low single digits in ELA. Science proficiency in fifth grade was similarly low. These are among the weakest results any reader will encounter in this district. The school achieved full participation in testing across all grades, so the results reflect actual student attainment rather than testing barriers. A parent may want to look into this further with the school, including what academic supports, interventions, or instructional changes are in place or planned to address the disparity between what the state expects and what students are demonstrating.
Within St. Clair County's districts, Penniman's overall proficiency index sits at the bottom quartile, well below the county median.
The student body is predominantly Black, with a substantial majority at the school. The enrolled population includes students across the three grade bands served. Demographic breakdowns on special education and English learner populations were not available. Free-and-reduced-price lunch eligibility data was also not provided, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the share of students who qualify for meal support, which often signals broader economic context.
Cahokia Heights itself is a place of modest housing costs but fragile civic infrastructure. The median home value in the area is very low by national standards, and rents are similarly affordable. The surrounding region has seen long-term population decline, though the three separate towns merged into a single city in 2021 partly to stabilize finances and address recurring infrastructure problems including sewage system overflows. A small affordable housing initiative, Vivian's Village, has begun near the regional hospital. The major local employers are health care, retail, and service-sector work. Public transit via MetroBus connects the area to the MetroLink light-rail system.
Within the district, a major development is the opening of a new Cahokia High School building at the end of August 2026 on newly donated acres, replacing a facility built in an earlier era and in need of substantial repair. The district financed the project through lease certificates and repurposed COVID-relief funds without raising property taxes. This long-term facilities upgrade signals commitment to the district's future, though the immediate academic performance at the elementary level warrants careful conversation with school leadership about the pathway to stronger outcomes.
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