The top reported proficiency rate is 22% in English language arts. The lowest is 12% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Isaac Singleton Elem Sch
Isaac Singleton Elementary School is a small K-5 school in Joliet serving a student population that is predominantly Hispanic, with substantial Black enrollment and very small numbers of white and Asian students. The school sits in a working-class part of Joliet on Copperfield Avenue, in a city that has been reinventing itself as a regional logistics and distribution hub while older industrial neighborhoods persist.
The academic picture here is direct and should prompt parent inquiry. State testing data from the most recent year show proficiency rates well below what parents would expect. In math, third grade proficiency was around a quarter of students; fourth grade dropped to below one in five; by fifth grade, only a handful of students scored at proficiency. English language arts followed a similar trajectory: third grade proficiency was around one in eight, fourth grade rose somewhat to around two in five, but fifth grade fell back to below one in six. Science proficiency at fifth grade was around one in nine. Against a comparison group of other districts in Will County, the school's overall proficiency index placed it in the bottom quartile.
These numbers represent a real academic challenge and a parent may want to look into this further with the school directly, asking what supports are in place, what literacy and numeracy interventions the school runs, how the staff is organized to address proficiency gaps, and what the school sees as barriers and strategies. It is worth asking whether these results reflect the current year or an outlier, what trend the school expects going forward, and how families can support learning at home.
The enrollment is modest for an elementary school, with a total of around 288 students spread across grades K through 5 plus preschool. All third through fifth graders were tested; all participated in the assessments. Free-or-reduced-price-lunch status was not reported in the data, but the school's enrollment composition and location suggest a high-poverty setting.
Joliet itself is a large suburban city about forty-five miles southwest of the Chicago Loop, with a mixed character: an aging east-side housing stock and industrial legacy, newer subdivisions on the west side, and a downtown anchored by the Rialto Square Theatre and Harrah's Casino. The housing market in Will County has been stable with moderate inventory; homes in the school's zip code are valued at a mid-range level reflecting the working-class character of the neighborhood. Joliet's major employers span logistics (Amazon, IKEA, Saddle Creek), manufacturing (ExxonMobil, Whirlpool), and public services; this is a place of steady employment rather than boom or particular economic dynamism.
The broader Joliet Public School District 86 in which Isaac Singleton sits has undertaken a major facilities initiative funded by a bond referendum that passed in 2023. Two replacement junior high schools are scheduled to open for the 2026-2027 school year, and expansions are underway at other buildings. This signals district investment and an acknowledgment that aging and overcrowded buildings have been a parent concern. Whether these capital improvements translate to accelerated academic gains remains to be seen.
For families considering Isaac Singleton, the core question is whether the school's current proficiency levels and the instructional response to them align with a family's own capacity to tutor or supplement, and whether the school can articulate a credible academic plan. The school serves a neighborhood that is stable and multi-generational, with cultural continuity and community roots. That stability is real. The academic results, however, require clear-eyed understanding and direct conversation before enrollment.
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