The top reported proficiency rate is 65% in English language arts. The lowest is 51% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Galena Elementary and Middle Sch
Galena Elementary and Middle School serves Pre-K through Grade 8 in a small, historic city in the Driftless Area of northwest Illinois. The school enrolls a modest student population spread across ten grades, with enrollment fairly distributed through the upper elementary and middle grades, and a notably larger group in seventh grade.
The student body is predominantly white, with a Hispanic population making up a substantial minority. A very small share of students identify as Asian, Black, or multiracial. The school does not report free-or-reduced-price-lunch participation or English learner enrollment figures, so a reader cannot assess economic diversity or language support needs from the available data.
Academically, the school shows uneven performance across grade levels. In the lower elementary grades tested, third and fourth graders demonstrate solid proficiency in reading; fourth-grade reading is notably higher than third grade. Reading proficiency holds in the mid-to-upper range through sixth grade, then remains steady in grades seven and eight. Math performance tells a different story. Third and fourth graders show solid math proficiency, but the school experiences a marked decline starting in fifth grade, where math proficiency drops sharply. Sixth and eighth grade math proficiency remain below half, while seventh grade recovers somewhat. Science testing occurs only in grades five and eight; fifth-grade science proficiency is notably low, while eighth-grade science is moderate.
Across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency sits below the midpoint among the county's districts. This reflects particularly the math performance in the middle grades, which is a soft spot a parent may want to examine more closely with the school. The data do not support trend analysis, so it is unclear whether performance is stable, improving, or declining.
The school sits on a separated campus on the north side of Galena, away from the historic downtown core. Galena itself is a small city known for its 19th-century architecture, walkability, and tourism-driven economy centered on the Galena River valley. The city's population has stabilized in recent decades after decline from its 19th-century mining-boom peak. Housing values in the area are below the state benchmark but above the national median, with an estimated monthly mortgage within reach of middle-income households. The local economy centers on hospitality, retail, and tourism services, including the nearby Eagle Ridge Resort complex; sales, food preparation, and transportation are the most common job categories for area residents.
Growth in Galena is modest and preservation-focused. The city is actively discussing housing attainability and infill development, with ongoing concerns about affordability for working-class and younger residents and infrastructure capacity limits on development. The Galena Unit School District recently passed a major school facilities referendum in 2024, with construction underway at the high school to replace aging infrastructure, add air conditioning, improve security, and expand building capacity—improvements that reflect district investment and signal planning for sustained operations in the community.
Demographic and program data beyond academics are not available from the state, so information about special education services, English learner support, course breadth, sports, clubs, or other co-curricular offerings cannot be drawn from this report. A parent would benefit from visiting the school's website or speaking directly with staff about instructional supports, particularly in middle-grade mathematics where proficiency drops notably.
See more original research from School Decision →