The top reported proficiency rate is 24% in English language arts. The lowest is 19% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Wells Elem School
Wells Elementary School serves kindergarten through fourth grade in East Moline, a small river city where agriculture and manufacturing shape the local economy. The school enrolls about three hundred students, with a plurality identifying as Black, a substantial share who are white, and smaller populations who are Hispanic, multiracial, or Asian. The school sits within East Moline School District 37, which is currently undergoing its first major boundary restructuring in decades, set to take effect in the 2026-2027 school year. Under this plan, Wells will shift to a strictly K-5 model with a smaller neighborhood enrollment, losing its fifth graders to the district's restructured middle school.
On Illinois state assessments, Wells shows proficiency rates that sit below the midpoint among Rock Island County's school districts. In third-grade mathematics and English language arts, proficiency hovered near or below a threshold comparable to other tested schools in the county. Fourth grade fared slightly better in reading but remains low in mathematics. The school does not currently enroll students above fourth grade, so no results appear for grades five through eight. Illinois changed its assessment cut scores in recent years, which means prior-year comparison is not reliable; parents may want to discuss trends directly with school staff. Test participation rates were strong, suggesting results reflect the bulk of enrolled students.
The school operates as a traditional public elementary school within a district serving a community that is actively reinventing itself. East Moline's economy rests on major manufacturing employers, particularly agricultural equipment producers, alongside smaller businesses and river-based logistics. The median home value in the area is moderate, and rental costs are modest relative to income. The city is in the midst of a multiyear federal-funded revitalization effort to connect its aging downtown on 15th Avenue to redeveloped riverfront districts through improved walkability and public space—construction began in 2025 and will extend into 2027. This growth activity may shape housing demand and neighborhood character as the revitalization unfolds.
Wells is one of four elementary schools in the district and will remain a neighborhood school under the new attendance boundaries. Families should note that the 2026-2027 redistricting will alter which school any given address feeds into and will move fifth graders out of elementary school into the restructured middle school, so housing decisions and grade progression will shift in timing.
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