The top reported proficiency rate is 41% in English language arts. The lowest is 23% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Washington-monroe Elem School
Washington-Monroe Elementary School serves pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Lincoln, a small county seat of Logan County in central Illinois between Springfield and Bloomington. The school draws students from a town whose economy has shifted: while healthcare, manufacturing (notably the Eaton plant), and logistics remain significant employers, the 2022 closure of Lincoln College removed a major civic and employment anchor. The housing market in the zip code where the school sits is below the state benchmark, with median values reflecting a modest, stable community rather than a high-demand area.
The school's enrollment is small, just over two hundred students spread across seven grade levels. The racial composition is predominantly white, with a meaningful share of multiracial students and smaller populations of Black and Hispanic students. Free-and-reduced-price lunch eligibility data was not available, so a parent should ask the school directly about the proportion of economically disadvantaged students served.
State assessment results from the most recent year paint a mixed picture. In English language arts, performance varies considerably by grade: third grade shows modest proficiency, fourth grade falls well below, and fifth grade rebounds to a level above half of students meeting standards. Math results follow a similar pattern with more volatility: third and fifth grades hover around two-fifths proficiency, while fourth grade drops sharply. Fifth-grade science proficiency is markedly low. These results position the school in the bottom quartile among districts in Logan County when proficiency is averaged across tested subjects and grades. A parent may want to look into what specific support strategies the school is using for fourth-grade mathematics and science instruction, where the gaps appear sharpest.
The school does not serve grades six through eight, so no data for those grades appears in state testing. This is consistent with Washington-Monroe's designation as an elementary school; middle grades would be served by a different building in the district.
Beyond test scores, the district is working on student support. Locally, voters were asked whether to expand how an existing school facility sales tax (already in place, with no new tax rate) could be used. Rather than being limited to buildings, the revenue would now support school resource officers and mental health professionals in district schools. For families considering this school, that signals the district's intent to address school climate and mental health needs, though the outcome of the referendum was not provided in available sources.
Washington-Monroe is a neighborhood elementary school in a stable, working-class community with real economic headwinds but continuing civic investment. The test results suggest the school is managing some grade-level achievement gaps and would benefit from targeted attention in upper elementary mathematics and science. Families looking at this school should have a direct conversation with staff about intervention strategies, curriculum choices, and how the school supports students who arrive below grade level.
See more original research from School Decision →