The top reported proficiency rate is 36% in Science. The lowest is 17% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Mark Denman Elementary School
Mark Denman Elementary School serves kindergarten through fourth grade in Danville, a small Illinois city that has experienced decades of population decline and now functions as the county seat of Vermilion County with a mixed economy centered on healthcare, retail, and industrial sectors. The school is part of Danville CCSD 118, a district that has faced persistent math proficiency challenges districtwide and is in the midst of a major facilities reinvestment program funded through reserves and pandemic relief.
The school's enrollment sits at a typical size for its grade band, with a student body that is more than half Black, reflecting Danville's demographics. A substantial portion of the enrollment is multiracial or Hispanic. Free-and-reduced-price lunch data was not available, limiting the picture of economic need.
Academically, Mark Denman's state assessment results show a significant challenge. In mathematics, third-grade proficiency is very low, and fourth-grade results, while slightly higher, remain well below what schools typically aim for. In English language arts, third-grade proficiency is similarly low; fourth-grade proficiency in ELA is markedly stronger than in math, though still below the midpoint. The school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile among the districts in Vermilion County. These results align with the district's known math struggles, which prompted the board to contract with an independent consultant in early 2024 and set an explicit target of moving a substantial portion of K-8 students above the 20th percentile.
Science assessment data from an earlier testing year was not comparable to current measures due to an assessment redesign, so recent science proficiency is not available.
The school sits within a district navigating real structural constraints. Danville CCSD 118 notably declined to support a countywide school facility sales tax referendum that other Vermilion County districts backed, meaning the district must fund capital improvements through reserves and existing revenue rather than a recurring dedicated stream. The district has nonetheless undertaken major reinvestment, including a high school addition and remodel and construction at Northeast Elementary Magnet School, which disrupted that school's year-round calendar for two school years. Those kinds of construction projects can affect school operations and parent planning.
Housing in Danville is affordable by national standards, with median home values below both the state and national benchmarks and monthly rents roughly aligned with national affordability measures. This affordability reflects the city's economic position; long-term population decline and the contraction of coal and manufacturing employment have left ample housing stock. For a parent considering schools in this area, Mark Denman represents a school with pronounced academic headwinds, serving a community in transition, within a district that is consciously investing in instruction improvement but working within tight capital constraints. A parent may want to look into further what math and literacy supports are in place at this school specifically and what the district's improvement effort entails in practice.
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