Durand Elem School, Durand IL - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Durand Elem School

Durand Elem School serves kindergarten through sixth grade in a small, rural village in northwest Winnebago County. The school draws from a tight-knit community of about three hundred students spread across eight grade levels, with the student body predominantly white and reflecting the surrounding farmland landscape. The student population includes a small share of Hispanic students and families of multiple races. Free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility data were not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the economic composition of the student body.

On state math assessments, the school shows a clear grade-level pattern: third graders demonstrate very strong proficiency, but proficiency declines as students move into upper elementary grades. This trajectory is worth understanding. In third grade math, the vast majority of students meet state standards, but by fourth grade the proficiency rate drops noticeably, and by fifth and sixth grades, fewer than half the students test proficient. The same pattern appears in English language arts, though less steeply. Third graders show solid proficiency in reading and writing, while fourth through sixth grades cluster in the middle to lower range. In science, tested only in fifth grade, proficiency sits below the midpoint. When placed alongside other school districts in Winnebago County, Durand Elem's overall proficiency index falls above the county median, suggesting it performs better than half its district neighbors countywide, but the grade-level decline warrants attention from parents and the school alike.

The school's enrollment is stable at a size typical for a small rural district. No data were reported on students with individualized education plans or English learners, so parents of children with these needs should contact the school for specifics on support services and staffing. The school building occupies the south side of the village and serves a secondary civic function: it houses the Durand Village Library and hosts community events, making it a meaningful gathering point beyond its academic role.

Durand sits in rural farmland with a walkable downtown square and a long volunteer-service tradition. Housing values in the area are below the state average for Illinois and well below the national benchmark, making the community accessible for homebuyers. In late 2025, the first phase of new residential development began after a gap of many years, with a major subdivision project underway, suggesting the village may be in early-stage growth. The village completed a community revitalization plan in early 2025 and invested in downtown streetscape improvements a few years prior, creating some forward momentum in the village's economic life. A parent choosing this school would be selecting a small, community-embedded elementary program in a place with modest housing costs and fresh development activity, coupled with the reality that upper-grade math and reading proficiency trails the early grades. The school's standing relative to county peers is above-median, but the internal grade pattern suggests that what works well in the younger grades may need examination and adjustment as students advance.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 398%

School 98% · District 98%

▲ 52 pts above state median · ▲ 65 pts above county median

Grade 455%

School 55% · District 55%

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

Grade 545%

School 45% · District 45%

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

Grade 643%

School 43% · District 43%

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 384%

School 84% · District 84%

▲ 40 pts above state median · ▲ 54 pts above county median

Grade 466%

School 66% · District 66%

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 29 pts above county median

Grade 553%

School 53% · District 53%

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

Grade 671%

School 71% · District 71%

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

Science

Grade 545%

School 45% · District 45%

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

This schoolDurand CUSD 322, 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.