The top reported proficiency rate is 35% in English language arts. The lowest is 23% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Washington Elem School
Washington Elementary School serves children from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in Elgin, a mid-sized Fox River Valley city about 35 to 40 miles northwest of Chicago. The school sits in a diverse, multicultural setting shaped by a historic manufacturing past and a significant Latino and Laotian American population. The school's enrollment is small relative to its grade span, distributed across eight grades from pre-K through sixth, with the upper grades (fifth and sixth) showing the largest cohorts.
The student body reflects the broader character of Elgin. The majority of students are Latino, with substantial shares of Black and white students, plus smaller populations of American Indian/Alaska Native and multiracial students. No data on free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility or special education and English learner rates was provided, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the demographic profile of students receiving support services.
Academic performance on Illinois state assessments reveals a clear challenge. In mathematics, proficiency rates across the tested grades (third through sixth) cluster in the low-to-moderate range. Third and fifth graders show slightly higher proficiency than their peers in fourth and sixth grade, where proficiency drops to very low levels. In English language arts, the pattern reverses in the upper grades: third and fourth graders show proficiency rates below fourth grade, but fifth and sixth graders show noticeably stronger performance in ELA than in math. Science results show low proficiency in the one tested grade (fifth). Across all subjects, student participation in testing is high, suggesting the results reflect actual student performance rather than missing data. When the school is positioned against other districts in Kane County, its overall proficiency index falls in the bottom quartile.
A parent should understand that these test results indicate significant academic gaps, particularly in mathematics. State testing data changed its proficiency standards in 2025, so direct year-to-year comparison is limited, but the current results show that few students are meeting grade-level proficiency benchmarks. This is the kind of pattern that often reflects under-resourced schools, high student mobility, or significant numbers of students reading and calculating below grade level. A parent may want to ask the school about intervention programs, tutoring, reading support, and plans to address the math gaps, as well as what the school is doing differently for students who are meeting or exceeding standards.
On the district side, meaningful change is underway. In April 2023, voters approved a large capital bond with no tax increase to rebuild five aging elementary schools across the district, including several in Elgin. Washington is located on West Chicago Street in central Elgin. A parent should ask whether Washington Elementary is one of the schools targeted for rebuilding and, if so, what the timeline is. The district has also extended the school day by a half hour starting in 2025-26 across all elementary schools, which means more instructional time beginning this school year. Additionally, the district is adopting new math curriculum (Reveal Math) and piloting a new ELA program, changes that should begin to show measurable effect within the next few years.
Housing in the Elgin area around the school is moderately affordable for the region, with home values in the low-to-mid range for the northern Illinois market and rental costs reasonable relative to household income. The area is actively developing, with new residential construction concentrated in west Elgin and ongoing redevelopment of the downtown near the Fox River and transit stations, though the school site itself sits in an established residential neighborhood.
Washington Elementary operates as a standard public school within the second-largest district in Illinois. It is not a charter, magnet, or specialized school, so enrollment is neighborhood-based. For families seeking an established, walkable urban-suburban setting with a diverse student population and future facility improvements planned, the school offers that context. For families prioritizing high current academic performance and established strong proficiency outcomes, the state test data indicates this is not the right fit at present. A parent considering this school should pair these test results with a school visit, conversations with current families, and direct inquiry about academic support systems and recent changes in curriculum and instruction.
See more original research from School Decision →