The top reported proficiency rate is 16% in English language arts. The lowest is 8% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Empire Elem School
Empire Elementary is a small K-4 public school in Freeport, a county-seat city in northwest Illinois with notably low housing costs and a walkable historic downtown centered around brick-faced buildings and locally owned shops. The school serves about the standard enrollment for a K-4 elementary in a small city, with a student body that is roughly evenly split between white students and students of color: about two-fifths white, and a mix of Black, Hispanic, and multiracial students. Data on free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility was not available, so a reader cannot assess the school's poverty concentration from that angle.
State testing results from the most recent year are quite low. On the Illinois Assessment of Readiness in third grade, just a small share of students met or exceeded proficiency in math and a slightly larger share did so in English language arts. Fourth grade performance was similar. Test participation was full. The state changed its proficiency cut scores across subjects that year, so year-to-year trend comparison is not safe to make; readers interested in understanding whether performance is improving or declining would need to ask the school directly or wait for results from a second year under the new scale. When measured against districts in Stephenson County, Empire's overall proficiency index falls in the bottom quartile, meaning most other district schools in the county show higher proficiency rates.
The school is part of Freeport School District 145, which is undergoing a significant structural change. Starting in fall 2025 and 2026, the district is shifting all elementary schools from a K-4 to a K-5 model. At the same time, the Jones-Farrar International Baccalaureate school, formerly a K-6 magnet, is expanding into a K-8 option. Preschool programs across the district, including at Empire, are being consolidated into a new central Early Childhood Center. This means Empire's enrollment and grade configuration will shift, and families with children currently in pre-K should know that those programs are moving out of the school building. The district has also adopted OneGoal classroom practices and a career-academy pathway model focused on college and career readiness, though this is typically implemented at the high school level; a parent may want to ask how this framework shapes instruction at Empire.
The town itself is modest in size and growth. Freeport's population has declined slowly over recent decades, and the city is focusing on downtown revitalization and rehabilitation of existing homes rather than major expansion. Housing prices are low relative to the state and national benchmarks, with a median home price well below state norms, and rental costs are also below average. The school's location on Empire Street places it within Freeport's residential neighborhoods, a short distance from the downtown core.
A parent considering Empire should understand that the school is currently reporting low test proficiency in both math and language arts, and should have a direct conversation with the school about what instructional supports are in place and what the path forward looks like. The upcoming grade reconfiguration and preschool consolidation are concrete changes coming soon. The town offers a small-city, low-cost living environment with an intact civic center downtown, but population has been declining and job opportunities are concentrated in manufacturing and health care.
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