Chester-east Lincoln Elem School, Lincoln IL

Original Research by School Decision on Chester-east Lincoln Elem School

Chester-East Lincoln Elementary School serves grades PK through 8 in Lincoln, Illinois, a small county-seat community in Logan County between Springfield and Bloomington. The school enrolls a modest population across its grade span, with the majority of students white and enrollment drawn primarily from the local area. The school is a regular public school operated by Chester-East Lincoln CCSD 61, a single-school district.

In English language arts, the school shows solid performance in the early and middle grades. Third-grade students reached high proficiency on state assessments, while fourth graders achieved strong results as well. Fifth and sixth graders show somewhat more modest proficiency, but seventh and eighth graders recover to high performance again. The pattern is less consistent in math. Third graders demonstrate very strong proficiency, but fourth and fifth graders drop significantly, with fifth grade showing particularly low attainment. Sixth and seventh grades recover partially, while eighth grade sits between. Science results are available only for grades five and eight: fifth-grade students show below-average proficiency, whereas eighth graders perform at a stronger level.

Across all tested subjects and grades combined, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among districts in Logan County, a meaningful positioning that reflects the strength in early grades and upper middle grades offsetting softer performance in the critical fourth- and fifth-grade math transition window. All students participated in state assessments. A parent might want to look into this further with the school to understand what's happening in fourth- and fifth-grade math instruction and whether support or intervention is in place for students who fall below proficiency during those grades.

Lincoln itself is the county seat, anchored by a historic downtown courthouse square with traditional retail and restaurants. The city experienced a significant economic disruption when Lincoln College, a historically Black institution with several hundred students, closed permanently in 2022 after more than a century and a half of operation. Recent growth trends are flat; employment in the city declined modestly from the prior year. The housing market in the area is relatively affordable compared to state and national benchmarks, with a median home value notably below the state average. Major employers include Eaton Corporation (manufacturing), Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital, healthcare services, and agricultural logistics.

The school's location in a small district serving a single school means program breadth is limited compared to larger systems. State testing data was available for math, ELA, and science; no other program offerings or details about special services were provided in available sources. Free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility, special education enrollment, and English learner counts were not reported. Information about teacher staffing, attendance rates, or discipline practices was not available.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 392%

School 92% · District 92%

▲ 46 pts above state median

Grade 449%

School 49% · District 49%

▲ 12 pts above state median

Grade 527%

School 27% · District 27%

▼ 3 pts below state median

Grade 639%

School 39% · District 39%

▲ 15 pts above state median

Grade 758%

School 58% · District 58%

▲ 30 pts above state median

Grade 841%

School 41% · District 41%

▲ 19 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 373%

School 73% · District 73%

▲ 29 pts above state median

Grade 480%

School 80% · District 80%

▲ 31 pts above state median

Grade 562%

School 62% · District 62%

▲ 10 pts above state median

Grade 671%

School 71% · District 71%

▲ 21 pts above state median

Grade 771%

School 71% · District 71%

▲ 20 pts above state median

Grade 880%

School 80% · District 80%

▲ 27 pts above state median

Science

Grade 541%

School 41% · District 41%

▲ 4 pts above state median

Grade 863%

School 63% · District 63%

▲ 23 pts above state median

This schoolChester-East Lincoln CCSD 61, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.