Delavan Elementary School, Delavan IL

Original Research by School Decision on Delavan Elementary School

Delavan Elementary School serves a small, close-knit town in southern Tazewell County, part of the Peoria metro area. The school enrolls a modest population of early-to-middle-elementary students in a setting with limited racial diversity: the vast majority of the student body is white, with small representation from Black and multiracial students and a handful of Hispanic students. The school operates as a regular public elementary building serving PreK through sixth grade and sits at the heart of Delavan itself, on Locust Street, the same walkable downtown strip where the secondary schools also stand.

State testing results from 2024–25 reveal persistent academic challenges. In English language arts, proficiency rates range from about half of third graders meeting the standard down to a third of fourth graders and low to mid-thirties for fifth and sixth graders. Mathematics is weaker across the board: third grade reaches about two in five students, fourth grade drops to about one in three, fifth grade falls to around one in six, and sixth grade to roughly one in ten. Science proficiency in fifth grade sits near two in five students. All students participated in testing, indicating consistent assessment engagement. Because the school serves grades that are not yet or only recently included in state assessment, seventh and eighth grade results were not reported; this reflects the school's function as an elementary and transition building rather than a gap in performance. Compared to other districts in Tazewell County, Delavan Elementary's overall proficiency index falls below the midpoint, placing it among the lower-performing schools in the county peer set.

The town of Delavan itself is in the midst of deliberate small-town revitalization. Population declined over the past decade, but civic and business leaders are investing in downtown projects along Locust Street, with new restaurants, shops, and a small-business support program launched in 2023. Housing values have risen modestly in recent market data, though the available inventory remains thin. Most families here commute to Peoria, Bloomington, or Springfield for work; in-town employment is centered on farming, a Caterpillar plant on the town's edge, and a large cannabis cultivation facility. The school district serves this rural, family-oriented community and has recently won voter approval for a significant high school facilities referendum, signaling ongoing investment in the district's physical infrastructure and capacity.

For a family considering this school, the key facts are the academic performance levels and the rural, small-town character. State testing shows well below median proficiency in both math and reading, with the steepest declines in upper elementary grades. The school is genuinely small and embedded in its community rather than set apart on a campus. Enrollment is stable and the environment is homogeneous. A parent may want to look into the specific instructional approaches the school is using to address proficiency gaps and what intervention or support structures are in place for students working below grade level, especially in the critical fourth through sixth grade span where results show the sharpest drops.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 340%

School 40% · District 40%

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 438%

School 38% · District 38%

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 515%

School 15% · District 15%

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 610%

School 10% · District 10%

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 356%

School 56% · District 56%

▲ 12 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 433%

School 33% · District 33%

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 28 pts below county median

Grade 536%

School 36% · District 36%

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

Grade 638%

School 38% · District 38%

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

Science

Grade 539%

School 39% · District 39%

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

This schoolDelavan CUSD 703, 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.