The top reported proficiency rate is 41% in English language arts. The lowest is 38% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on John a Renfro Elementary School
John A Renfro Elementary is a small regular public school serving early grades in Collinsville, a residential Metro East city east of St. Louis. The school sits within Collinsville CUSD 10, which has recently navigated significant changes: a zero-tax-rate facility upgrade referendum in 2024, the closure of Jefferson Elementary due to low enrollment, and expansion of the area vocational center to strengthen career and technical pathways for high school students.
Renfro's enrollment is modest. The school serves roughly five hundred students across pre-kindergarten through fourth grade, with a fairly even distribution across the elementary grades and a strong pre-K program. The student body is mixed: white students make up a slight majority, with a substantial population of Black students and a smaller Hispanic population. The school serves a reasonably diverse elementary cohort, though data on students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch and on special populations such as English learners and students with IEPs was not available.
On state assessments, Renfro's third and fourth graders took the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) in 2024-25, and the results show modest proficiency. In third grade, roughly four in ten students met proficiency on both math and ELA. Fourth grade saw proficiency rates dip slightly, with roughly one-third of students reaching proficiency in math and somewhat below that in ELA. These results place the school above the midpoint for overall proficiency among its county peers, but they signal that a substantial share of students are working below grade-level standards in core subjects. Testing data was not available for kindergarten through second grade, as those grades are not assessed statewide. Grade five would not typically be tested at an elementary school serving only pre-K through fourth, explaining the absence of data at that level.
Collinsville's housing market is moderately priced relative to national benchmarks. Median home values hover in the mid-range, with modest year-over-year appreciation. Monthly rents are also moderate, making the city reasonably affordable for families on middle-income wages. The local economy is anchored by government services, retail (Walmart, Home Depot, Kohl's), the FanDuel horse racing facility, and small manufacturing and service businesses. Uptown Collinsville, centered on walkable Main Street, hosts shops, restaurants, and regular cultural events; outside Uptown, the city follows a more auto-oriented pattern. This is a stable, working-class and middle-class residential community without rapid growth, though the city is selectively attracting new development and housing investment.
A parent considering Renfro should know that this is a school serving the foundational early-elementary years, where students are building fundamental skills in phonics, fluency, and numeracy. The proficiency results suggest the school is working with a population where grade-level readiness varies and where many students need targeted support to catch up. This is typical for elementary schools in moderate-income areas, and it does not speak to individual teacher quality or program design, which the data does not address. A parent may want to look into further what reading and math interventions the school has in place, how it identifies students needing extra support, and what progress it tracks over time. The school's position above the county median in proficiency is a point in its favor, but the absolute numbers indicate that advancement planning should account for the possibility that not all students will enter middle school at grade level.
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