William F Murphy Elem School, Woodridge IL

Original Research by School Decision on William F Murphy Elem School

William F Murphy Elementary School serves kindergarten through sixth grade in Woodridge, a post-1950s suburban community in DuPage County built around industrial parks, interstate commerce, and residential subdivisions. The school enrolls a small student body and sits within Woodridge School District 68, which recently transitioned to full-day kindergarten across all elementary schools and has adopted a new K-5 math curriculum alongside Project Lead the Way STEM courses in upper grades.

The school's enrollment spans roughly equal numbers of students across its lower grades, with tapering numbers in upper elementary. The student body is diverse: roughly half white, with Hispanic, Black, and Asian students each representing a substantial share. Free-and-reduced-price lunch eligibility data was not available, so a parent may want to inquire directly about socioeconomic composition and support services.

On state assessment results, the school shows a mixed academic profile. In English language arts, performance is stronger in upper grades, with fifth and sixth graders reaching proficiency rates well above half the cohort. Third and fourth graders show more moderate results. Math performance is weaker overall. Third grade achieves a mid-range proficiency rate, but fourth and fifth grades both fall below that, with fourth grade particularly low. Sixth grade rebounds to a higher rate. Science results are available only for fifth grade, where performance is moderate. Across all tested grades and subjects, the school's overall proficiency index places it above the midpoint among districts in DuPage County.

Participation rates are consistently strong, all in the mid-to-high 90s, indicating reliable test administration. Standard caveats apply: state assessment results reflect a single year's snapshot, proficiency criteria were adjusted this year, and no multi-year trend is yet available to show whether these results represent growth, decline, or stability. Parents interested in understanding why math proficiency lags behind ELA, or whether the new district curriculum is expected to affect these trajectories, should discuss those questions directly with the school.

The school serves a car-oriented suburban setting. Woodridge itself is built around industrial corridors and interstate access rather than walkable neighborhoods. However, Pace bus service connects residents to Metra commuter rail at Lisle and Belmont stations. The village hosts a Park District with sports and recreation programs, a public library, and Seven Bridges, a mixed-use development with shops, restaurants, and entertainment. Housing in the zip code is moderately valued, with new-construction townhome communities adding supply. The local economy is anchored by Internationale Centre, a large business park, and companies like Edward Don, an industrial distributor, alongside smaller manufacturers and service firms.

District 68 is executing a multi-phase capital improvement plan including roof repairs, HVAC replacements, and solar installations without a referendum, a long-term infrastructure investment financed through existing budgets. No information was available on the school's specific programs, staffing levels, course breadth, special services, or discipline climate. A parent considering Murphy Elementary should contact the school to learn about these dimensions and to discuss how the district's curriculum changes are being rolled out at each grade level.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 363%

School 63% · District 55% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 444%

School 44% · District 47% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 548%

School 48% · District 40% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 670%

School 70% · District 51% · ▲ 19 pts above district

▲ 46 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 368%

School 68% · District 56% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 464%

School 64% · District 56% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 582%

School 82% · District 70% · ▲ 12 pts above district

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

Grade 685%

School 85% · District 75% · ▲ 10 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 547%

School 47% · District 43% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

This schoolWoodridge SD 68, 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.