The top reported proficiency rate is 43% in English language arts. The lowest is 29% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Machesney Elem School
Machesney Elementary is a small public elementary school serving grades one through six in the suburban village of Machesney Park, just north of Rockford in Winnebago County. The school enrolls a small number of students across six grade levels, with the largest cohorts in grades four, five, and six, and very few students in the early grades.
The student body is predominantly white, with smaller shares of Hispanic and multiracial students and a small Black population. Free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility data was not available. The school did not report counts of students receiving special education or English learner services.
On Illinois state assessments in reading and math, Machesney Elementary's proficiency rates fall below the midpoint among Winnebago County districts. In the grades where data is available, proficiency ranges from about a quarter to just under half of students meeting state standards. Third grade shows the strongest performance in both reading and math, with proficiency above forty percent. By fourth and fifth grades, proficiency drops notably, particularly in math, where it falls to under thirty percent. Science proficiency in grade five is similarly low, near thirty percent. The school achieved full participation on these assessments. A parent may want to look into how the school is supporting students in the upper elementary grades, where performance narrows, and what resources are available for students working below grade level.
Grades six and above have no state assessment data. This appears to reflect that the school's official enrollment chart lists grade six, yet grades seven and eight are part of the school code but show no tested students. The situation in grade six and any multi-grade configuration warrants clarification directly with the school.
The school is located in an auto-oriented suburban setting built around major commercial corridors rather than a walkable downtown. Machesney Park sits on the north side of Rockford and is experiencing redevelopment, particularly around the former shopping mall, now Machesney Town Center. New apartment construction is underway nearby, and several small single-family subdivisions are active. Housing values in the area have appreciated over the past year, and monthly rents are moderate for the region. The neighborhood offers access to the Rock River and Rock Cut State Park.
An important context for this school and the entire district is active restructuring. Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, Harlem School District 122 is closing two elementary schools and reconfiguring its remaining elementary buildings from traditional kindergarten-through-five grade spans into two-year grade-band buildings. Machesney Elementary will remain open, but families should expect that grade assignments and building assignments will shift, and that the elementary experience will be reorganized around paired grades rather than a full K-5 model. The district is also significantly reducing its Pre-K program. These changes stem from a substantial budget deficit, falling enrollment across the district, and underutilized buildings. The district has made commitments regarding property tax relief if a county sales tax referendum passes, but the immediate outlook involves consolidation and restructuring.
Families considering this school should understand its current academic profile, confirm details about how grade six will be housed and taught in the new structure, and plan for the transition beginning in 2026-2027. The school's strengths in early grades do not yet extend consistently into the upper elementary years, and enrollment uncertainty from district-wide consolidation may affect school stability and staffing.
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