Dr Ml King Jr Literary&fine Arts, Evanston IL

Original Research by School Decision on Dr Ml King Jr Literary&fine Arts

Dr. ML King Jr. Literary & Fine Arts is a school of modest size serving kindergarten through eighth grade in Evanston. The student body is diverse, with Black students making up the largest share, followed by white, Hispanic, Asian, and multiracial students. Enrollment data for free or reduced-price lunch is not available, though Evanston as a whole is a mixed-income lakefront city with significant university presence, walkable neighborhoods, and ongoing housing development.

The school's test results paint a split picture. In English language arts, proficiency runs strong across most grades, particularly in third grade and in the upper middle school years (seventh and eighth). Reading and writing appear to be relative strengths. Mathematics proficiency is weaker and more variable. Third graders perform respectably, but fourth through sixth grades show notably lower attainment before a rebound in seventh and eighth grades. Science proficiency sits in the middle range, with one measured grade showing below-average results and another showing moderate strength. A parent may want to look into the school's approach to math instruction further with the school, particularly for elementary grades.

The school's overall proficiency index puts it above the midpoint compared to other districts in Cook County, a meaningful indicator of academic position relative to peers. All students participate in state assessments. It is worth noting that Illinois changed proficiency cut scores for its state assessments, making year-to-year trend comparison difficult, so older data on this school's trajectory is not directly comparable.

Evanston CCSD 65 is navigating substantial structural change. The district closed two schools at the end of 2025-26, including the Bessie Rhodes School of Global Studies, the district's only fully bilingual school, and reassigned families across the elementary footprint. A new Foster Elementary opened for the 2026-27 school year in the Fifth Ward. The district adopted a new elementary literacy curriculum in 2023 to replace the Lucy Calkins approach. In middle school math, the district eliminated accelerated placement classes and moved all students onto an advanced sequence without tracking. These shifts affect how and where students move through the system.

District 65 faces a structural budget deficit and has implemented tax levy increases at the state-allowed maximum in recent years. The school board has been weighing a new operating referendum to close the gap. Housing costs in the Evanston area have risen, with home values and rental prices reflecting proximity to downtown and transit. A parent considering this school should be aware that district finances remain in transition and that school closures and boundary changes continue to reshape attendance patterns. The school itself sits on Lake Street in a walkable, transit-accessible part of the city with community centers, parks, and library branches nearby. Students enroll from the surrounding neighborhood, though some are placed here as a result of the recent boundary restructuring following school closures.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 363%

School 63% · District 68% · ▼ 5 pts below district

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

Grade 441%

School 41% · District 52% · ▼ 11 pts below district

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

Grade 543%

School 43% · District 51% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

Grade 634%

School 34% · District 48% · ▼ 14 pts below district

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

Grade 746%

School 46% · District 56% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 856%

School 56% · District 45% · ▲ 12 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 374%

School 74% · District 62% · ▲ 12 pts above district

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

Grade 449%

School 49% · District 58% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 554%

School 54% · District 64% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

Grade 653%

School 53% · District 65% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Grade 757%

School 57% · District 70% · ▼ 13 pts below district

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

Grade 876%

School 76% · District 68% · ▲ 8 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 548%

School 48% · District 54% · ▼ 6 pts below district

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

Grade 867%

School 67% · District 54% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 41 pts above county median

This schoolEvanston CCSD 65, 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.