The top reported proficiency rate is 11% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Mark Twain Primary School
Mark Twain Primary School is a small public elementary school serving prekindergarten through third grade in Kankakee. The school enrolls a small population spread fairly evenly across its grade bands, with notably high concentration in second grade. The student body is racially diverse, with roughly equal shares of Black and Hispanic students, a small share of white students, and very few students from other backgrounds.
The school administered state assessments in third-grade math and English language arts in the most recent testing cycle. In both subjects, proficiency among third graders was very low. State testing data for grades four through eight are listed as missing, which aligns with the school's grade configuration—it serves only through third grade, so those grades are not applicable. The data note that Illinois altered proficiency cut scores for the 2024-25 assessment year, making direct comparison to prior years uncertain, so a parent may want to look into whether this school's very low proficiency reflects a longer-term pattern or reflects only the assessment transition.
The school is part of Kankakee School District 111, a district serving the city and surrounding areas. The district is currently undergoing significant structural change. In 2025, it commissioned a full curriculum and instructional practices audit as a prelude to developing a new five-year strategic plan. This signals that teaching methods, course sequence, and subject-area content are under active review district-wide. That process is relevant to families considering Mark Twain, as curriculum decisions made over the coming year will shape what and how young learners encounter foundational math and literacy skills.
Housing in the Kankakee area is relatively affordable compared to state and national benchmarks. The local market shows modest price appreciation and stable rental rates. The city itself is a mid-sized industrial and service hub about fifty miles south of Chicago, with a compact historic downtown anchored by civic institutions and recent streetscape improvements, though most neighborhoods outside the core are characterized as only moderately walkable. Employment is anchored by healthcare, manufacturing, life sciences, and education-sector employers. The county has seen limited new housing construction since the 2008 recession, though recent policy initiatives and completed projects such as the West Harbor Residences and Co.LAB Kankakee suggest renewed development interest.
The district's tax levy has increased in consecutive years, approaching the state's Property Tax Extension Limitation Law ceiling each time—a recurring cost factor for families already living in or considering the area. For families in early elementary grades, Mark Twain offers a neighborhood setting in an economically mixed city with room to assess how the district's curriculum work unfolds.
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