Central Elem, Kewanee IL - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Central Elem

Central Elem serves grades four through six in Kewanee, a small city in northwestern Illinois about forty-five miles from Peoria. The school enrolls students across a moderate range of racial and ethnic backgrounds: about three-fifths white, one quarter Hispanic, and smaller shares Black and multiracial. Data on free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility and special education enrollment were not available.

On Illinois state testing in 2024-25, Central Elem's results show consistent strain across both core subjects. In English language arts, proficiency improved as students move through the grade levels: fourth-grade students showed proficiency near the bottom of the range, while sixth-graders reached just under half proficient. In mathematics, the pattern flattens and stays low: fourth-grade proficiency was around thirty percent, dropping to the low twenties for grades five and six. A fifth-grade science assessment showed proficiency near thirty percent. All grades achieved strong participation rates on these state tests, above ninety-five percent. The school also reports fourth-grade data for a third-grade-level test and fifth-grade data for a seventh-grade-level test; results for grades three and seven in the school's own cohort were not reported.

When placed against other districts in Henry County, Central Elem's overall proficiency index sits in the bottom quartile. The comparison reflects a school where roughly one in three students demonstrate proficiency across tested subjects and grades.

The district, Kewanee CUSD 229, has undertaken several facility and program investments in recent years. The high school added a new auditorium and two classrooms, including a space for a Certified Nursing Assistant career pathway, funded through a working-cash bond and state grants with no tax increase to residents. The district has also used countywide school facility sales-tax revenue rather than property-tax referendums to fund capital projects, easing pressure on homeowners. A July 2023 windstorm prompted repairs across multiple school buildings, part of an ongoing facilities recovery effort.

Kewanee itself is a gradually declining small city with a modest housing market. Median home values run well below state norms, making homeownership affordable. Population has edged downward over recent years, and new construction remains limited. Much recent investment has focused on adaptive reuse of historic buildings and downtown revitalization rather than new subdivisions. The community retains a compact downtown core with civic anchors including a Carnegie library, parks, and an Amtrak station. A parent may want to ask the school directly about the factors behind the proficiency gaps in math and science, what reading and mathematics support structures are in place, and how the school tracks progress for students working below proficiency targets.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 429%

School 29% · District 31% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

Grade 523%

School 23% · District 30% · ▼ 7 pts below district

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

Grade 622%

School 22% · District 23% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 2 pts below state median

English language arts

Grade 430%

School 30% · District 35% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 23 pts below county median

Grade 542%

School 42% · District 46% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

Grade 647%

School 47% · District 48% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 3 pts below state median

Science

Grade 529%

School 29% · District 36% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 23 pts below county median

This schoolKewanee CUSD 229, 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.