The top reported proficiency rate is 62% in Math. The lowest is 55% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Chebanse Elem School
Chebanse Elementary serves the small village of Chebanse, a rural community in Iroquois County about nine miles south of Kankakee. The school enrolls roughly 344 students across kindergarten through fourth grade in a building that appears to date to the 1960s, located a few blocks from the village center. The enrollment is small and stable, with the largest grade being second and progressively smaller cohorts in third and fourth.
The student body is predominantly white, with modest representation of Hispanic and multiracial students and a small number of Black students. Data on free or reduced price lunch participation and on students with IEPs or English learners were not available. The school sits within a town where most families own their homes and where civic life clusters around a small commercial core and community anchors like the Civic Center (the former school building), American Legion, churches, and a recently opened community library at Zion Lutheran Church.
On the state's IAR assessments, Chebanse Elementary's third-grade results in math and English language arts fall in the moderate range, with fewer than six of every ten students reaching proficiency in either subject. Fourth-grade proficiency dips further, to roughly half of students in both subjects. No state testing data exist for grades five and above because the school only serves through fourth grade. The school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among the nine districts across Iroquois County, though this reflects its performance relative to peers in a rural county rather than a statewide ranking.
The housing market in the 93-zip code area shows median home values well below both the state and national benchmarks, with monthly mortgage payments substantially lower than national averages. Rent-to-income ratios are also modest relative to the nation, making housing affordability comparatively favorable. This reflects the rural character of the area: a compact footprint centered on the historic rail corridor, with everyday life car-oriented and anchored by Interstate 57 access on the town's eastern edge.
Growth in Chebanse itself has been flat to slightly declining. The population has remained in a stable band for well over a century, and recent data show a slight decrease between 2022 and 2023. Major employers are not located in the village; residents typically commute to manufacturing, healthcare, and service jobs in nearby Kankakee and Bourbonnais. The town retains its rural, owner-occupied character with limited street-life infrastructure.
A parent considering Chebanse Elementary should look into the school's approach to addressing the performance gaps visible in fourth grade and understand what support structures exist for students working below proficiency. The small school size and rural setting offer a close-knit environment but limited diversity of peer backgrounds. The town itself offers a stable, affordable housing option with a modest cost of living, though growth prospects are limited and commuting for work is the norm.
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