Pierce Downer Elem School, Downers Grove IL

Original Research by School Decision on Pierce Downer Elem School

Pierce Downer Elementary is a school of roughly average size for its grades, serving prekindergarten through sixth grade in a residential neighborhood of Downers Grove, a western Chicago suburb with a mix of historic homes, post-war residential blocks, and active downtown renewal. The school sits on its own campus rather than in the downtown core, typical of the district's layout across the village.

The school's state test results show strength in some areas and softer performance in others. In math, third graders show solid proficiency, and fifth graders perform respectably, but sixth-grade math proficiency dips noticeably below those grades. English language arts results are more scattered—third and sixth graders show good performance, while fourth and fifth graders score in the low-to-mid range. Science testing covers only fifth grade and shows below-average proficiency. The school's overall proficiency rate across tested subjects and grades places it in the top quartile among DuPage County district schools, a meaningful strength in a competitive suburban landscape.

The student body is predominantly white, with small shares of students from Hispanic, multiracial, Asian, and Black backgrounds. Data on free or reduced-price lunch eligibility and on special populations like English learners or students with IEPs was not available. The school's enrollment is fairly consistent across grades, suggesting stable demand in the enrollment area.

Downers Grove as a community is mid-priced for the Chicago suburbs. Home values are moderate for the region, and rentals follow a similar pattern. The area is densifying with new multifamily housing near the Metra station downtown, and single-family neighborhoods continue to see teardowns and rebuilds at a notably high rate. The Main Street Metra BNSF station serves commuters, and the downtown has been invested with new public spaces, restaurants, and shops.

The district is in the middle of significant change. Voters approved a major facilities bond in 2022, which is funding renovation and expansion of all school buildings through summer 2026. At the same time, the district is transitioning from a kindergarten-through-fifth, sixth-through-eighth model to a prekindergarten-through-fifth, sixth-through-eighth model starting in the 2026-27 school year. This means sixth graders will move from elementary schools like Pierce Downer to the two district middle schools, reducing enrollment pressure at the elementary level but also shifting where families send their middle-grade children. Parents with younger students or those planning enrollment should understand that this structural change will directly affect which school their sixth grader attends.

A parent considering Pierce Downer should note that state testing in math and ELA shows variability across grade levels rather than consistent strength, and science proficiency is below average. The school's overall standing within the county is genuinely strong, yet the individual subject and grade results suggest that some students advance to middle school with gaps. A parent may want to look into this further with the school, particularly if their child is approaching the middle or upper elementary grades where performance softens.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 385%

School 85% · District 78% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 39 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

Grade 474%

School 74% · District 67% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 37 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Grade 579%

School 79% · District 69% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 49 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Grade 662%

School 62% · District 63% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▲ 38 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 374%

School 74% · District 69% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 466%

School 66% · District 76% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 570%

School 70% · District 74% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▲ 18 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 686%

School 86% · District 79% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 35 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Science

Grade 553%

School 53% · District 65% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

This schoolDowners Grove GSD 58, 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.