The top reported proficiency rate is 41% in English language arts. The lowest is 33% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Lincoln Elem School
Lincoln Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Jacksonville, Illinois, within Jacksonville School District 117. The school sits in a small county-seat city with a historic downtown core and a mixed-use character. The surrounding area is marked by Civil War and turn-of-the-century residential neighborhoods, though recent growth has been gradual rather than dramatic, centered on downtown revitalization and incremental private investment rather than large-scale expansion.
The school's enrollment is small for its grade band, with roughly two-thirds of students in the tested grades of third through fifth. The student body includes a White plurality, with substantial representation of Black and multiracial students. Racial composition is diverse, though state testing data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about services and enrollment in those areas.
On state assessment results, Lincoln's proficiency rates sit below the midpoint among Morgan County districts. In mathematics, third-grade proficiency stands below half, fourth grade is substantially lower, and fifth grade is roughly one-third. English language arts shows somewhat stronger performance in third and fifth grades, each just under or around half, with fourth grade considerably weaker. In fifth-grade science, proficiency was around one-third. The school is below the county's median overall proficiency index. Parents should understand that these results indicate students are not mastering grade-level skills at rates the state considers proficient, and should ask the school what interventions, tutoring, or support systems are in place, both within the school and through the district.
All students participated in the state assessments, which is important context for interpreting the results. Score trends across grade levels are not consistent enough to point to a single pattern, though fourth grade dips notably in both subjects. Because Illinois changed proficiency cut scores recently, year-to-year trend comparisons are not yet reliable, so a parent cannot tell from the data alone whether performance is improving or declining.
The district has undergone significant facilities renovation over recent years, touching Lincoln Elementary among others, funded largely by bonds and federal ESSER funds without raising property taxes. The district is also planning a new elementary school in the Murrayville-Woodson area, with broader implications for capacity and kindergarten availability. In December 2024, the school board approved a levy increase to support the new elementary project. Illinois property tax caps limit the real burden on homeowners, but levy changes are the kind of recurring financial signal parents and prospective homebuyers track.
Jacksonville itself offers modest housing affordability relative to state and national benchmarks, with a long-standing mixed-use downtown, a large municipal park, and institutional anchors including Illinois College and the Illinois School for the Deaf. The economy centers on a hospital, several manufacturers, and state educational institutions. Street life concentrates around the historic downtown square, which has seen steady revitalization over recent years.
For a family considering Lincoln, the key question is academic support: the school's proficiency rates are lower than the county median, and parents should speak directly with school leaders about what literacy and math instruction looks like, what interventions are available for students who need them, and how families can partner in supporting their child's learning. The recent facilities work may improve the building environment, and the school is small enough for personal attention if staffing levels support that. The choice between Lincoln and other options in the district will depend on how the school's approach to struggling readers and math skills aligns with a family's own assessment of their child's needs.
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