The top reported proficiency rate is 55% in English language arts. The lowest is 41% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Carrie Busey Elem School
Carrie Busey Elementary School is a kindergarten through fifth-grade school of about 450 students in Savoy, Illinois, serving one of the suburbs closest to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The student body is ethnically diverse: roughly a third are white, a quarter are Black, and a sixth are Asian, with smaller shares of Hispanic and multiracial students. Free and reduced-price lunch eligibility data are not publicly available for this school, so a parent looking for economic context would need to inquire directly.
The school's most recent state test results, from spring 2025, show mixed performance in mathematics and language arts. In third grade math, about half of students met state proficiency standards; in fourth grade math, about half did as well; in fifth grade math, just over half reached proficiency. Language arts results were somewhat stronger: third graders achieved proficiency at a slightly better rate than in math, while fifth graders performed in the low-to-mid range. Fifth grade science results show a notably lower proficiency rate, below where the school performed in reading and math. These results place the school below the midpoint of proficiency when compared to other districts across Champaign County, according to publicly reported comparison data. A parent may want to look into the school's specific approaches to science instruction and math support, as those areas represent softer spots relative to the county peer group.
Carrie Busey sits within Champaign Unit 4, a district that has undergone structural changes in recent years. In 2023, the district eliminated its balanced calendar and reconfigured two elementary schools into PreK-8 buildings, though Carrie Busey itself remained unchanged. More broadly, Unit 4 has adopted AVID, a college-readiness framework emphasizing strategic notetaking, vocabulary, and close reading strategies; these practices are now embedded across district classrooms, so a family enrolling at Carrie Busey can expect that pedagogical orientation to be present.
Savoy itself is a growing residential suburb south of Champaign, with tree-lined subdivisions and parks as its primary character. It is ethnically diverse with a higher-than-average concentration of residents in computer and math fields tied to the University. New residential development is underway in subdivisions like Prairie Meadows and Lake Falls, and the village is constructing a new downtown square with apartments and retail, expected to break ground in 2027. Homes in the area are moderately priced relative to national benchmarks, and rental costs are lower than purchase costs relative to household income. The school is located on Prairie Rose Lane, a setting typical of suburban Champaign County. Public transit via the MTD Yellow bus connects Savoy to Champaign, and parks including the 55-acre Dana Colbert Park with fishing and sledding anchor recreational life. The University of Illinois is a short drive away.
For families considering this school, the takeaway is straightforward: Carrie Busey is a neighborhood elementary school in a growing suburb with demographic diversity and solid community amenities, but state test results show room for growth, especially in science. The school operates within a district that has made intentional changes to pedagogy and calendar structure, so alignment with those changes is relevant to the fit.
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