The top reported proficiency rate is 38% in Math. The lowest is 32% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Marquette Elem School
Marquette Elementary School is a small elementary school in Machesney Park serving grades 1-3 in the Harlem School District. The enrollment is small, distributed across the three grades it serves. The school is located in a suburban residential area just north of Rockford, in an auto-oriented community built around commercial corridors rather than a traditional walkable center.
The school's academic performance data is limited. State testing results are available only for third grade: roughly a third of third-graders met proficiency standards in math, and about a third in English language arts. Testing data for grades 4 and above do not apply to this school because Marquette serves only grades 1-3. Among Winnebago County's school districts, this school's overall proficiency index falls in the bottom quartile, meaning test results are below the median for the county.
The student body is predominantly white, with smaller shares of Hispanic and multiracial students, and a small number of Black students. Data on free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, special education enrollment, and English learner populations were not provided, so the economic and learning-support profile is not clear from the available information. A parent may want to ask the school directly about its support services and the demographics of students receiving services.
Marquette is a regular public school and part of a district facing significant structural change. The Harlem School District is addressing a substantial budget deficit by closing two other elementary buildings (Maple and Olson Park Elementary) and reconfiguring its remaining elementary schools, including Marquette, into two-year grade-span models beginning in the 2026-27 school year. This means Marquette will shift from serving K-5 to serving only two consecutive grades. The district is also reducing its early childhood program substantially, cutting access to Pre-K seats. These changes will alter which grade levels attend Marquette and the experience of the school itself.
Machesney Park itself is in active transition. The former Machesney Park Mall, now the Machesney Town Center, has lost its major retailers and is undergoing gradual redevelopment with smaller tenants. New residential construction and new apartment development proposals are active in the area. Housing values in the zip code are moderate relative to state and national benchmarks, and monthly rent is relatively affordable.
For families considering this school, the main questions to explore with the district are the exact grade configuration Marquette will serve after 2026-27, what the two-year instructional model means for pacing and student transitions, and how support services will be allocated across the reconfigured elementary system.
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