Leland Elem School, Leland IL - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Leland Elem School

Leland Elementary School is a small public school serving preschool through eighth grade in a rural village of fewer than a thousand people in northeastern LaSalle County, about twenty miles north of Ottawa. The school enrolls a small population across ten grades, with roughly balanced cohorts in most grades; eighth grade is slightly larger, and prekindergarten is very small.

The student body is predominantly white, with a Hispanic population representing a modest minority share and very few students of other racial backgrounds. The school's socioeconomic and special-population data are not publicly available, so a parent may want to ask the district directly about the free and reduced lunch rate, the share of students with IEPs, or English learner enrollment.

Academic performance across state tests shows uneven results by grade and subject. In math, third grade proficiency is notably stronger, while fifth and eighth grades are substantially lower. Fourth grade sits around the midpoint, sixth grade is modest, and seventh grade performs more solidly. English language arts shows more volatility: third and fourth grades are at midpoint, fifth grade is slightly above midpoint, sixth grade is more solid, but seventh grade dips significantly before eighth grade rebounds to a stronger level. Science, tested only in grades five and eight, shows low results in grade five and middling results in grade eight. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency sits above the midpoint when compared to other districts in LaSalle County, though the range within the school itself is wide. Test participation is very high across subjects.

A significant structural constraint on the school is that Leland operates as a standalone, very small independent district without the resources of a larger organization. In 2022, voters rejected a referendum that would have merged Leland CUSD 1 with neighboring Somonauk to create a larger combined district; that proposal was explicitly pitched to address resource limits, including the fact that Leland cannot offer any AP or dual-credit courses. That limitation remains in place. Families considering the school should understand it as a rural district school without access to advanced-placement or college-credit pathways that larger districts routinely provide.

The village of Leland itself is geographically compact, with all civic and school functions centered on Main Street. Population has declined modestly over recent years, and the local housing market is very small with minimal new construction. Median home values in the wider county are accessible, and the community has a stable, close-knit character. The school sits within walking distance of the village center but operates in a rural setting without the amenities or employment diversity of a larger town.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 370%

School 70% · District 70%

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Grade 450%

School 50% · District 50%

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 532%

School 32% · District 32%

▲ 2 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 644%

School 44% · District 44%

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Grade 764%

School 64% · District 64%

▲ 36 pts above state median · ▲ 30 pts above county median

Grade 832%

School 32% · District 32%

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 350%

School 50% · District 50%

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 450%

School 50% · District 50%

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 553%

School 53% · District 53%

even with state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 663%

School 63% · District 63%

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 740%

School 40% · District 40%

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 874%

School 74% · District 74%

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Science

Grade 537%

School 37% · District 37%

even with state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 853%

School 53% · District 53%

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

This schoolLeland CUSD 1, 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 7Lower-income27%Higher-income25%2 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 7Lower-income18%Higher-income42%24 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income30%Higher-income67%37 pp gap