The top reported proficiency rate is 16% in English language arts. The lowest is 13% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Lincoln Elem School
Lincoln Elementary School serves kindergarten through second grade in Macomb, a small rural college town anchored by Western Illinois University. The school sits in a community shaped by the university's presence and constrained by the town's slow population decline, which carries implications for school enrollment and fiscal stability over time.
The school's enrollment is modest but reasonably stable across its grade band, with a fairly even distribution among the three grades. Student composition is predominantly white, with smaller cohorts of Black, multiracial, and Hispanic students, and a very small population of Asian and Native American students. Socioeconomic data on free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility was not available, so a reader seeking to understand economic need at the school would benefit from asking the district directly.
State assessment data was collected only for third grade, the first grade administered Illinois state testing. Those 2022-23 results show low proficiency rates: roughly one in seven students met the proficiency standard in math, and about one in six in English language arts. When compared to other districts in McDonough County, Lincoln's proficiency performance falls in the bottom quartile. A parent may want to look into this further with the school and district: what instructional approaches are in place, whether there has been any change in performance since 2023, and what support is available for students working below grade level. The school does not report graduation rates, chronic absenteeism, or participation rates, as these metrics do not apply to early elementary grades.
Macomb itself is a stable but slowly contracting community. The town's population has declined modestly over recent years, tied largely to enrollment and budget pressures at Western Illinois University, which is the town's largest employer and economic anchor. Housing is affordable by national standards, with median home values below the state benchmark and monthly rent well below the national median. Most homes are older, built in the mid-twentieth century or earlier; the community has seen little new residential construction in recent years. Downtown Macomb has a walkable courthouse square with local shops and a farmers market, and Go West Transit, the state's only fare-free public bus system, offers routes connecting downtown, the university campus, and residential areas. Employment is concentrated in education, health care, and retail.
The district made a significant capital investment in August 2023 by opening a brand-new dedicated middle school, the first new school building the district had constructed in roughly a generation. That project freed up space at Lincoln and other elementary buildings. For families considering this area, the school is part of a district making infrastructure improvements while navigating the broader challenge of modest population decline and an economy heavily dependent on a single large employer.
See more original research from School Decision →