Kaneland Blackberry Creek Elem, Elburn IL

Original Research by School Decision on Kaneland Blackberry Creek Elem

Kaneland Blackberry Creek Elementary is a small school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Elburn, a far-west exurb of Chicago experiencing rapid residential growth tied to the recent extension of Metra rail service. The school draws from a student body that is predominantly white, with Hispanic students making up a meaningful minority and other communities represented at smaller rates. Free and reduced lunch eligibility data were not available, so family income composition cannot be assessed from the data provided.

The school's academic performance shows a mixed picture across tested grades and subjects. In English Language Arts, fourth graders posted strong proficiency, while fifth graders also showed solid performance. Third grade ELA proficiency came in noticeably lower. Mathematics results show a downward trend: third graders attained solid proficiency, fourth graders dropped considerably, and fifth graders fell to half at proficiency. Science testing was offered only in fifth grade and showed proficiency somewhat below ELA levels. Participation rates were consistently high, with nearly all tested students taking the assessments. The school does not serve grades six through eight, so state testing results for those grades are absent because the school's grade band does not include them.

Against other districts in Kane County, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile, meaning Blackberry Creek's combined performance across tested subjects and grades ranks among the stronger performers in the county. However, parents may want to look into the sharp performance decline in math between third and fourth grade and the continued softness in fifth grade math to understand whether specific interventions are underway or whether that trajectory reflects broader district or instructional patterns.

The school sits in Anderson Road in a newer residential subdivision area rather than the small historic downtown, reflecting Elburn's dispersed school infrastructure. The wider district recently passed a significant bond referendum in April 2025, funded through debt restructuring without increasing property tax bills. Construction on capital improvements across all six district schools, including HVAC and classroom upgrades, is scheduled to begin in summer 2026. The referendum represents a major reshaping of facilities; for Blackberry Creek, improvements include playground updates and HVAC work.

Enrollment is small, under one hundred students per grade, giving the school an intimate, graded setting. The elementary draws from a community on a steep growth trajectory, with large residential subdivisions and additional acreage proposed for development, so the student population may expand in coming years as new families settle in the village. Housing in the area is moderately priced relative to the nation and slightly above the Illinois state median, and mortgage and rent costs place the area within reach of working and professional families, though affordability varies.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 371%

School 71% · District 58% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 465%

School 65% · District 53% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 550%

School 50% · District 42% · ▲ 8 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 362%

School 62% · District 55% · ▲ 7 pts above district

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

Grade 482%

School 82% · District 71% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 33 pts above state median · ▲ 34 pts above county median

Grade 578%

School 78% · District 66% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Science

Grade 566%

School 66% · District 54% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

This schoolKaneland CUSD 302, 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.