The top reported proficiency rate is 88% in English language arts. The lowest is 76% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Spencer Loomis Elementary School
Spencer Loomis Elementary School is a public elementary school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Hawthorn Woods, a low-density, residential village northwest of Chicago. The school sits within Lake Zurich CUSD 95, a district that recently rebuilt May Whitney Elementary as a modern facility and adopted a forward-looking strategic plan called Empower95 that includes formal guidance on AI in the classroom. Hawthorn Woods itself is defined by single-family homes on large lots, forested land, and an outdoor-oriented character; residents drive to nearby towns for most services.
The school's testing results show solid academic performance overall. In English language arts, fourth-graders performed very strongly, with reading proficiency well above three-quarters of students. Third and fifth graders also showed strong proficiency in reading, in the upper range for elementary. Math results were somewhat more mixed. Fourth-graders reached proficiency at a strong level, while third and fifth graders both achieved proficiency at about three-quarters of tested students. In science, fifth-grade proficiency was at approximately the same level as in the other core subjects. All tested students participated in assessments, indicating consistent testing access. The school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among Lake County districts, positioning it as a stronger-performing elementary school in its regional context. It is worth noting that Illinois changed proficiency cut scores in recent years, so direct comparison to prior years is not straightforward from the data available.
Enrollment is small for an elementary school, with families distributed across the early grades. The student body is predominantly white, with an Asian population representing a meaningful share, and other racial and ethnic groups present in smaller numbers. Free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility data was not available, so a reader cannot assess economic diversity from the provided information. English learner enrollment data and special education rates were also not reported. Housing in the zipcode is moderately priced, trending upward, and rentals are in the mid-range for the region, reflecting the village's character as a family-oriented suburb.
The school's immediate neighborhood is Hawthorn Woods Country Club, an active development area with new single-family homes, alongside the original large-lot estates that define the village. Hawthorn Woods has no traditional downtown and residents drive to neighboring Lake Zurich, Libertyville, or Mundelein for shopping and services. Civic life centers on village parks, the forest preserve, and a recently built aquatic center rather than a transit-served downtown. The village is in measurable growth, with new construction concentrated in the country club master-planned community.
Spencer Loomis serves a neighborhood of parents who chose or can afford to live in a low-density, car-dependent village with strong schools. The school's solid test performance, particularly in reading, aligns with the district's broader reputation; Lake Zurich High School and Middle School North earned National Blue Ribbon School recognition in 2024. A parent or resident weighing this school should factor in that it is small, serves kindergarten through fifth grade only, and draws from a fairly homogeneous neighborhood by income and race. The community itself offers an outdoor, suburban lifestyle, but requires a car to reach most daily amenities. The district's recent and ongoing facility improvements and shift toward AI-informed instruction suggest a forward-leaning approach to curriculum, though specific program depth at the elementary level was not detailed in available sources.
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