The top reported proficiency rate is 58% in English language arts. The lowest is 35% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Deland-weldon Elem School
Deland-Weldon Elementary serves a small, tight-knit rural school community in central Illinois. The school operates as part of Deland-Weldon CUSD 57, a consolidated district that combines all K-12 grades at a single campus located in De Land, several miles from the village of Weldon itself. The school enrolls a small group of students across pre-K through sixth grade, with a student body that is predominantly white and drawn from the surrounding agricultural region.
The academic picture is mixed and warrants close attention. In English language arts, performance varies significantly by grade. Third graders show solid proficiency, and fifth graders perform well. Fourth graders, by contrast, show notably lower results, and data for sixth grade was not available. Mathematics presents a clearer concern. Third-grade proficiency is moderate, but fourth and fifth grades show substantially lower performance, each well below half. Sixth-grade math data was not reported, likely because the school does not serve that grade level for testing purposes or enrolls too few students there to report results. In science, tested at fifth grade, proficiency is near the midpoint. Performance across the school sits below the midpoint when compared against other districts in Piatt County.
The variability in results from grade to grade suggests that individual cohort composition or transitions may be shaping outcomes, and a parent may want to ask the school directly about what accounts for these swings, what interventions are in place for fourth and fifth graders, and how the school is working to stabilize proficiency across elementary grades.
The school sits in a community experiencing long-term population decline. Weldon itself is a small agricultural village with minimal commercial presence and no significant new housing development; the region's economy remains rooted in farming and very small local services. Housing values in the area are below state and national benchmarks. The broader school district has consolidated its operations onto one campus as regional enrollment has shrunk. This reflects the real context in which the school operates: a stable but declining rural setting where families are often multigenerational and tied to the land.
The student body is small and homogeneous. Enrollment is under a hundred students across eight grade bands, and the vast majority of the school is white. Demographic breakdowns by free-or-reduced-price lunch status and English learner status were not available in the data provided. The school's small size means tight peer cohorts and consistent adult-student relationships, which some families value; it also means fewer specialized programs and less internal diversity.
The school is not a Title I school and carries no charter or magnet designation. It is a straightforward public elementary school in a rural district serving a long-established local population. No information about staffing, special services, curricula, or recent strategic changes was available, so a parent exploring this school should contact the district directly to understand what academic support systems are in place, how the school approaches literacy and numeracy instruction, and what resources are available for students who need extra help.
For families rooted in the agricultural community and seeking a neighborhood school with small class sizes and a rural setting, Deland-Weldon Elementary is a familiar local option. For families looking for a school with strong across-the-board proficiency or diverse programming, the recent test results and limited data on support systems suggest looking further.
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