M J Cunningham Elem Sch, Joliet IL

Original Research by School Decision on M J Cunningham Elem Sch

M J Cunningham Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Joliet, a large suburban city southwest of Chicago. The school enrolls a small-to-moderate student body, with the largest classes at grades four and five. The student population is predominantly Hispanic, with smaller numbers of Black, white, and multiracial students. Asian enrollment is minimal. Free-or-reduced-price lunch data were not available, so the precise share of economically disadvantaged students cannot be stated from the data on hand.

State test results from the 2024-25 school year show proficiency rates in math and English language arts that fall well below the midpoint among Will County districts. In third-grade math, about one-quarter of students met or exceeded state proficiency levels. Fourth-grade math proficiency was lower, around one-fifth. By fifth grade, math proficiency dropped further to around one-sixth of tested students. English language arts showed a similar pattern: proficiency hovered below one-fifth in grades three and four, then rose modestly to around one-quarter in grade five. Science testing, available only for grade five, showed proficiency at around one-sixth of students. These results place the school in the bottom quartile of county districts on an overall proficiency measure. Performance across subjects suggests that reading, writing, and math skills remain areas where a substantial majority of students have not yet met grade-level standards.

The school is part of Joliet Public School District 86, which in April 2023 won voter approval for a major facilities bond. Two replacement junior high schools are scheduled to open for the 2026-2027 school year, and an expansion of Thomas Jefferson Elementary is underway to address longtime overcrowding. The district also is planning security, accessibility, and technology upgrades across all schools. The bond is being funded without an increase to the current tax rate because expiring debt will be replaced.

Housing in the Joliet area has seen modest appreciation, and rental costs have ticked upward over the past year. The broader Will County housing market shows moderate inventory and steady listing activity, with home values below the state benchmark. Mortgage rates remain in the mid-sixes, and rent-to-income ratios suggest housing costs are manageable for households at or near median income for the nation. A parent may want to look into the school's specific academic support programs and instructional approaches with the school itself to understand how it is working to close the proficiency gap.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 325%

School 25% · District 28% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 35 pts below county median

Grade 421%

School 21% · District 20% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 28 pts below county median

Grade 516%

School 16% · District 16%

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 319%

School 19% · District 24% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 38 pts below county median

Grade 420%

School 20% · District 26% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 28 pts below state median · ▼ 38 pts below county median

Grade 527%

School 27% · District 35% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 37 pts below county median

Science

Grade 516%

School 16% · District 21% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 28 pts below county median

This schoolJoliet PSD 86, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.