The top reported proficiency rate is 49% in Math. The lowest is 43% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Westview Elementary School
Westview Elementary School serves students from pre-kindergarten through grade four in Canton, a small Fulton County city shaped by its post-industrial heritage and current efforts at downtown revitalization. The school enrolls a student body that is about three-quarters the size typical for an early elementary school of its grade band, with a student population that is substantially white, reflecting the broader demographic makeup of the area.
In mathematics, Westview's third-grade students show proficiency rates around the middle of the range, while fourth-grade performance drops notably lower. English language arts results follow a similar pattern, with third grade performing at about half proficiency and fourth grade declining further. The school serves only through grade four, so state testing results for grades five and above are not applicable. The data shows full participation in testing, meaning students were assessed across both subjects where measured.
Positioned against other schools in Fulton County, Westview's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among its county's districts. That standing reflects the strength of third-grade results alongside the fourth-grade dip, averaging out to a position above the median for the comparison group.
The school's enrollment of about four hundred students sits stable across a fairly balanced distribution of grades, with pre-kindergarten serving the largest cohort and fourth grade also substantial. Canton's housing market appears affordable relative to state and national benchmarks, with median home values considerably below the Illinois average, which may factor into family stability and residential patterns in the school's attendance area.
Canton itself is a city working through economic transition. The closure of International Harvester decades ago left a blue-collar community searching for new identity. Cook Medical has brought manufacturing jobs, and Graham Health System, the correctional center, and the school district rank among major employers. Downtown Canton sits around a historic square with shops and restaurants, though outside that core, the city is car-dependent. A downtown gas explosion in a recent year damaged several buildings and set back some of the area's revitalization momentum. Median home prices remain low, and development activity appears modest and downtown-focused rather than driven by large new residential subdivisions.
Parents considering Westview will find a small early elementary school in a rural county setting with clear academic challenges in the upper primary grades that may warrant conversation with the school about instructional approaches, student support, and the transition to middle grades. A parent may want to look into how the school addresses the performance decline from third to fourth grade.
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