The top reported proficiency rate is 69% in English language arts. The lowest is 47% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Rutledge Hall Elem School
Rutledge Hall is an elementary school serving grades three through five in Lincolnwood, a small, ethnically diverse Chicago suburb in Cook County. The school sits within Lincolnwood School District 74, a district that has recently undergone major curriculum adoptions in mathematics and science while pursuing a significant referendum-backed facility renovation.
The school's enrollment is modest for its grade band, spread across three grades. The student body reflects the town's demographic diversity, with substantial shares of Asian and white students, along with smaller proportions of Black, Hispanic, and multiracial students. Free-or-reduced-price-lunch eligibility data was not available, so the economic profile of the enrollment cannot be fully characterized from the data provided.
On state assessments administered in the most recent year, Rutledge Hall's proficiency rates fall below the midpoint when compared to other schools in Cook County. In English language arts, results are stronger: fourth grade showed solid proficiency, while fifth grade also performed above the school average. In math, however, results are notably lower across all three grades, with roughly half or fewer students meeting proficiency. In the one science assessment administered at the school (grade five), about three in five students reached proficiency. Overall, the school's proficiency index positions it above the midpoint among the county's tested schools, meaning some grades and subjects pull the average up, though the math results are an area a parent may want to look into further with the school.
The school's grade band means it does not serve high school grades and therefore has no graduation rate. State testing does not extend to grades six and beyond at most schools, so the missing data for those grades reflects the design of Illinois' testing system, not a gap in the school's coverage.
Lincolnwood itself is an auto-oriented suburb organized around arterial roads and the Edens Expressway rather than a traditional downtown. The Devon Avenue and Lincoln Avenue corridors have seen pedestrian and streetscape improvements, and a major mixed-use development called District 1860 at Touhy and Lincoln is now occupied, adding housing and retail to the area. The village maintains parks, a public library, and regional trail connections, though daily life centers on driving. Home values in the area are moderate for the Chicago region, and rental availability is present, though housing costs relative to income place ownership in the upper-middle range.
The district has adopted a new K-8 math curriculum, Carnegie Learning, paired with new middle school math materials, creating a seamless progression. It has also adopted Amplify Science for middle school and is undertaking a multi-year literacy implementation. These curriculum changes will directly shape how students at Rutledge Hall move forward through the district's pathway. Additionally, the district placed a school building bond referendum on the March 2026 ballot, primarily to renovate and expand Todd Hall to retain the Children's Care and Development Center as an after-school tenant. The outcome of that referendum will affect property-tax debt and the district's facility footprint, making it relevant to families considering the area.
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