The top reported proficiency rate is 49% in English language arts. The lowest is 33% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Washington Elem School
Washington Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Jacksonville, Illinois, a small historic county seat in west-central Illinois. The school is part of Jacksonville School District 117, which has undergone substantial facilities renovation over the past several years, including upgrades to Washington itself. The district is also moving forward with construction of a new elementary school in the Murrayville-Woodson area, expected to open by fall 2027. These changes reshape the physical environment most families encounter.
The school enrolls a small population, drawn from across the district. The student body is predominantly white, with smaller shares of students identifying as Black, multiracial, Hispanic, or Asian. Washington's enrollment leans toward the younger end of the K-5 range, with kindergarten and second grade being the largest cohorts and fifth grade somewhat smaller. The data provided did not include information about the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, English learner enrollment, or special education enrollment, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those populations and how they shape daily life.
In state testing from the most recent school year, Washington shows modest proficiency in English language arts and lower performance in mathematics. In English language arts, about half or slightly more of students in grades three through five scored at the proficient level, with third grade at roughly half and fourth grade in the mid-forties. In mathematics, results are weaker: third-grade proficiency was in the low-to-mid thirties, fourth grade around a quarter, and fifth grade around two-fifths. Fifth-grade science showed proficiency around forty-five percent. These are real challenges. When placed against other districts in Morgan County, Washington's overall proficiency index falls above the midpoint, a position that reflects variation within the district's school portfolio rather than district-wide strength. Participation rates in testing were very high, indicating solid attendance on test days.
The broader Jacksonville area offers a historic downtown with an active civic square (Central Park), a revitalized Main Street with independent businesses and public events, and several institutional anchors including Illinois College, the Illinois School for the Deaf, and the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired. Nichols Park provides substantial recreational space. The local economy centers on Jacksonville Memorial Hospital (the largest employer), several manufacturers, and the education and state-institutional sector. Housing in the area ranges from Civil War-era and turn-of-the-century homes to newer construction, with home values below the state average and mortgage costs modest by national comparison. The city has pursued incremental downtown revitalization through a tax-increment financing district and Main Street programming rather than large-scale growth, which shapes the community's pace and character.
The district's recent capital spending and bond issuance signal ongoing investment in school facilities, though property tax increases are constrained by Illinois law. For families considering Washington or the district more broadly, the combination of modest test scores, recent facilities upgrades, and a small-city setting with walkable downtown elements and stable, affordable housing are the defining features. This is a community-rooted neighborhood school in a place where long-term residents and institutional stability matter more than rapid change.
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