The top reported proficiency rate is 34% in English language arts. The lowest is 22% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Ridgewood Elem School
Ridgewood Elementary serves kindergarten through fourth grade in East Moline, a small river city on the Illinois bank of the Mississippi anchored by John Deere and other agricultural manufacturing. The school enrolls a diverse student body drawn from the surrounding suburban neighborhoods. Its student composition reflects the broader East Moline population: a mix of white, Black, Hispanic, and Asian families, with Asian students making up a notable share of enrollment.
Test performance in the most recent year shows weak results across both math and language arts at the tested grades. In third grade math, about one-quarter of students scored at proficient or above. Fourth grade math was lower, at about one in five students proficient. Third grade language arts was similar to math, near one-third proficient, while fourth grade language arts was stronger, with about two in five students reaching proficiency. Because Ridgewood serves only K-4, there are no state test results for fifth grade or beyond. The school appears to sit below the midpoint among its county's districts on an overall proficiency measure, a meaningful gap a parent should discuss directly with school staff.
The school is a traditional public elementary housed in a regular brick school building on 30th Avenue. It operates under East Moline School District 37, a small district running four elementary schools and one middle school before students move on to United Township High School. The district has announced a major redistricting plan taking effect in the 2026-2027 school year, its first boundary shift in decades. Under this plan, Ridgewood will grow and become a full K-5 building, with about half of elementary students attending there while the other schools become smaller neighborhood options. Fifth grade instruction will shift from the middle school back to elementary buildings. This change means that a family's home address and which school their children attend will be redrawn, affecting both current and prospective families.
Housing in East Moline is relatively affordable for the region, with home values below the state average and monthly housing costs that are modest relative to income. Rentals are also accessible. The city itself is experiencing active reinvention, with construction beginning in 2025 on a major riverfront and downtown revitalization project that will improve walkability and streetscaping, though the area remains car-dependent overall. Employment centers around manufacturing and logistics, centered on the major Deere and Case facilities, giving the community an industrial character mixed with newer waterfront entertainment and housing districts being developed along the Mississippi.
Early elementary families choosing Ridgewood should expect a neighborhood elementary serving a mixed urban-suburban population. The current weak proficiency results warrant a conversation with the school about curriculum, instruction, and support systems, particularly in math. The pending redistricting, while not yet in effect, is a structural change that will reshape boundaries and the role each building plays in the district starting in 2026-2027.
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