The top reported proficiency rate is 44% in English language arts. The lowest is 17% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Maple Elem School
Maple Elementary School, located in Loves Park in Winnebago County, serves first through sixth graders in a mixed-income suburban setting. The school sits in the Rockford metropolitan area, where the local economy centers on aerospace manufacturing, healthcare, and retail. Loves Park itself is a fast-growing mixed-use city along the Rock River with no municipal property tax, so its character is shaped by commercial corridors and light industry rather than a dense historic core.
The school's academic standing sits in the bottom quartile relative to other districts in Winnebago County on overall proficiency. In math, students tested in grades 3 through 5 showed proficiency rates ranging from below one quarter to around one third. In English language arts, performance was more uneven across the grades, with fourth grade reaching approximately one half proficiency but third grade at about one third. The school tested students in science at fifth grade, where proficiency fell well below one fifth. State testing data was not available for sixth grade. Illinois changed its proficiency scoring criteria in recent years, so year-to-year trend comparisons are not safe to compute from this data alone; a parent may want to ask the school directly about how performance is moving. All tested students participated in the assessments.
The school enrolls a small population for its grade band, with the majority in the primary grades (K and 1). The student body is majority white, with a sizable Hispanic enrollment, a smaller Black enrollment, and small numbers of Asian, multiracial, and American Indian students. Counts for students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, students with disabilities, and English learners were not available in the data provided.
Loves Park housing values are somewhat below the state average, and monthly rents are moderate relative to national benchmarks. The affordability metrics suggest rents represent a smaller share of household income than mortgages do for homebuyers in the area. Employment in Loves Park is concentrated in manufacturing, health care, and retail, with major regional employers including aerospace suppliers and healthcare systems.
The school is part of Harlem Community Unit School District 122. In January 2026, the district board approved the closure of Maple Elementary and Olson Park Elementary, effective at the end of the 2025-26 school year. Beginning in 2026-27, the district will reorganize its remaining elementary schools into two-year grade-span buildings rather than traditional K-5 structures. This consolidation stems from a substantial budget deficit driven by falling enrollment and underutilized buildings, and will result in roughly 30 to 70 position cuts districtwide. The Early Childhood program capacity will be sharply reduced, and families currently at Maple will transition to other elementary buildings under new attendance boundaries. An interactive school-transition tool on the district website shows which building each student will attend starting next year. The district's board has also committed that if a pending county sales tax referendum on school facilities passes in March, approximately half of those revenues will go toward replacing property taxes currently used for existing building bond debt, providing a direct property-tax reduction for homeowners in the district.
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