Coretta Scott King Magnet Sch, University Park IL

Original Research by School Decision on Coretta Scott King Magnet Sch

Coretta Scott King Magnet School serves kindergarten through fifth grade in University Park, a planned suburb of Chicago anchored by Governors State University and industrial logistics parks. The school sits in a quiet, low-density community built around open space and trails rather than walkable commercial streets. Student enrollment is approximately mid-sized for an elementary school, with the student body predominantly Black, reflecting the demographics of the residential area.

The school's most recent state assessment data shows proficiency in reading somewhat ahead of math at the elementary level. In grade three, reading proficiency is approximately one-third of students meeting state standards, while math proficiency is slightly lower. Grade four shows stronger performance in reading, rising to above two-fifths of students proficient, though math proficiency remains in the low-to-mid-thirds range. By grade five, reading proficiency reaches a majority of students, the strongest result across tested grades, while math and science proficiency in that grade sit below two-fifths. Across all three grades tested in reading and math, the school sits below the midpoint for overall proficiency compared to other district schools in Will County. The data carries a note that cut scores were adjusted by the state in the current assessment year, so year-to-year comparison is not available. Test participation rates are strong, at or near universal in the grades tested.

Coretta Scott King is named a magnet school but serves its immediate residential area. The school is part of Crete-Monee CUSD 201U, a district spanning Crete, Monee, Park Forest, and University Park. The district has invested in facility upgrades through a working-cash-bond-funded Short-Term Facility Improvement Plan that includes water pipes, electrical systems, bathrooms, and new HVAC at Coretta Scott King alongside other elementary buildings in the district. The district also expanded hands-on STEM at the elementary level through SmartLabs, with installations at multiple elementary schools. A bond referendum in 2021 proposed building a new elementary school in University Park to replace Coretta Scott King, but the district subsequently shifted to renovation and improvement of existing buildings rather than new construction, meaning Coretta Scott King will remain the elementary option for the area.

Housing in the zip code around University Park is moderately valued and shows modest recent appreciation. The area is auto-oriented; transit is anchored by the Metra Electric line terminating in the village, supplemented by Pace bus service. Families considering this school may want to look further into current state and classroom proficiency trends with the school directly, since the newest available assessment data shows lower overall proficiency than neighboring schools in the county, and ask about the specific content and pacing decisions being made to move proficiency upward in math at the elementary grades.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 322%

School 22% · District 28% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 38 pts below county median

Grade 434%

School 34% · District 20% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Grade 526%

School 26% · District 16% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 333%

School 33% · District 33%

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

Grade 444%

School 44% · District 34% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 552%

School 52% · District 47% · ▲ 5 pts above district

even with state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Science

Grade 537%

School 37% · District 23% · ▲ 15 pts above district

even with state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

This schoolCrete Monee CUSD 201U, 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.