The top reported proficiency rate is 24% in English language arts. The lowest is 13% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Jefferson Elem School
Jefferson Elementary serves fourth and fifth graders in Harvard, Illinois, and sits within Harvard CUSD 50, a district that serves the small city and surrounding area in northwest McHenry County. The school's academic performance, as measured by state testing, is weak across all tested subjects.
In the most recent state assessments, Jefferson's fourth grade scored proficiency in math at a rate well below what neighboring districts in McHenry County achieve on average. Fifth grade math proficiency was much lower still. For English language arts, fourth grade proficiency was similarly low, and fifth grade performed only slightly better. In science, fifth grade proficiency was also below the county median. The school's overall proficiency index across tested subjects places it in the bottom quartile among McHenry County districts. No state testing data are available for third grade, which Jefferson does not serve, and sixth through eighth grade testing does not apply since the school serves only grades four and five.
The enrollment is split nearly evenly between the two grades, with a substantial majority of students identifying as Hispanic and a minority share identifying as white. The data do not provide the free-or-reduced-price-lunch rate, the count or rate of students with an Individualized Education Program, or the count or rate of English learners, so a parent may want to look into those school-level details directly with the school or district.
Harvard itself is a small city in McHenry County with rural and small-town roots centered on dairy farming; it is home to the annual Harvard Milk Days festival and sits roughly an hour northwest of Chicago. The town's economic base has been flat since a large Motorola manufacturing plant closed two decades ago, leaving a vacant campus that has repeatedly failed to be redeveloped. Recent housing activity has been modest, including a small seven-home development completed in 2024, and the town's population has remained roughly stable with a slight recent decline. The median home price in the area has risen modestly year over year, and the market remains tilted toward sellers.
At the district level, Harvard CUSD 50 launched the HIVE alternative education program in 2023-24, operating in partnership with Chancelight at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church. This program serves students with emotional and behavioral disabilities locally, a change that means families with children needing specialized behavioral and emotional support no longer need to arrange transportation to programs as far away as Elgin or Rockford.
Jefferson Elementary's test results show sustained difficulty in math, English language arts, and science across both grades. This is the core academic reality a family would need to reckon with when considering the school.
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