The top reported proficiency rate is 74% in English language arts. The lowest is 55% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Lena-winslow Elem School
Lena-Winslow Elementary School serves children from prekindergarten through fifth grade in a small village in the rolling hills of northwestern Illinois. The school sits on a shared campus with the district's other schools along Fremont Street, rather than in the walkable historic downtown core.
The school's enrollment is small, with most grades in the low-to-mid fifties; the student body is predominantly white, with smaller shares of Hispanic and multiracial students. Free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility data was not available. The racial composition and overall enrollment size are characteristic of this rural community.
In the most recent state testing results available, the school shows uneven performance across grades and subjects. In third grade, both math and English language arts proficiency reached roughly three-quarters of students. Fourth grade language arts held steady around that mark, but fourth grade math dropped to just under half. Fifth grade saw a partial recovery in both subjects, with language arts proficiency around seven-tenths and math just over half. In fifth grade science, proficiency was also just over half. Performance in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades could not be determined because no tested grades beyond fifth are currently served at this elementary building.
The pattern suggests the school's core instruction is strongest in the lower elementary grades and weakens as students advance. Math proficiency in particular shows volatility and a notable dip in fourth grade that a parent may want to look into further with the school. The school does test all students and achieves full participation rates in the subjects where data is reported.
The school's proficiency index places it in the top quartile among districts in Stephenson County, meaning performance is above the median for the county comparison set. That said, the county itself appears to include schools at a wide range of performance levels, so county position alone does not fully characterize strength relative to state benchmarks.
Lena itself is a quiet residential village with modest housing costs relative to state and national medians. The community has a walkable downtown historic district with trees and older housing stock, plus newer subdivisions at the edges. Daily civic anchors include the library, village services, and Lake Le-Aqua-Na State Recreation Area a short drive north. Population has remained roughly stable. The district recently broke ground on a new football stadium funded through school investment and community donations, a capital commitment that signals confidence in facilities for athletic and school life.
The elementary school offers a traditional neighborhood school experience in a small, tight-knit community where most families know one another. Families seeking a rural setting with low density and close peer relationships will find that here. Families prioritizing strong, consistently high proficiency across all elementary grades, especially in math, may want to discuss curriculum and support with the school's leadership.
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