The top reported proficiency rate is 62% in English language arts. The lowest is 41% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Kaneland Mcdole Elem School
Kaneland McDole Elementary School sits on Foxmoor Drive in Montgomery, Illinois, serving early grades from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. The school is part of Kaneland CUSD 302, a district that spans the western Chicago suburbs. The enrollment is small by modern standards, with about a dozen students in pre-K through modest-sized cohorts in the primary grades, reflecting the composition of the newer residential subdivisions that dominate this exurban area.
The student body is predominantly white, with a meaningful Hispanic enrollment reflecting regional demographics, and smaller populations of Asian, Black, and multiracial students. The school does not report free-or-reduced-price-lunch rates, which is not uncommon in suburban schools where that data is collected but not always made public. No data is available on special education enrollment, English learners, or school-level discipline patterns.
Academically, state assessment results from spring 2025 show a school working through variable performance. In grade three, McDole's math proficiency sits in the middle range, with roughly three of every five third graders meeting the state standard. English language arts performance in that grade is comparable. By grade four, math proficiency drops, with fewer than half the class meeting standards, while ELA strength actually rises notably at that grade level. Fifth grade presents a softer picture: math proficiency falls further, to about one in three students, while ELA proficiency at fifth grade sits at about half the class. The school did administer a science assessment in grade five, where less than half the students met standards. Grade-level results suggest that the deeper the grade, the more math proficiency declines, though small cohort size in upper elementary can make year-to-year comparisons less stable.
Test participation rates were high, indicating that absences on testing days were not a significant barrier to getting students assessed. Note that the proficiency benchmark itself shifted in 2025 as Illinois changed its cut scores, making direct year-over-year comparison impossible with this data; McDole has no trend history to review.
When placed against the other districts in Kane County, McDole's overall proficiency index—a mean of all tested grades and subjects—falls below the county median. This positioning reflects the school's lower fifth-grade math result pulling down its aggregate standing. A parent may want to look into further with the school what instructional approaches are in place for upper elementary mathematics and whether the school sees the patterns as grade-specific transitions or as signals of earlier learning gaps.
The district itself has moved into a growth phase. Voters in April 2025 approved a substantial bond referendum for facility improvements across all six Kaneland schools, including HVAC upgrades, roof work, science lab renovations, and athletic facility enhancements at the high school. Elementary schools like McDole will see playground updates and climate control improvements. Construction is set to begin in summer 2026. The referendum succeeded after the district withdrew a smaller proposal in 2023, signaling voter confidence in the current leadership's vision. The district has pledged to restructure existing debt so that property tax impacts remain stable despite the new borrowing.
Montgomery itself is a rapidly growing exurban village roughly 40 to 45 miles southwest of Chicago, sprawling across Kane and Kendall counties. The town combines a small historic core along the Fox River with extensive newer single-family subdivisions, particularly west of Orchard Road, and a significant industrial and distribution sector. Population growth has been substantial, fed by subdivisions like Lakewood Creek and Montgomery Crossings. Housing values are moderate relative to the Chicago region and the state, though they have appreciated steadily. The area is car-dependent; walkability efforts are nascent. Schools in the village serve dispersed neighborhoods rather than a traditional downtown, and school district boundaries do not align neatly with village boundaries—the southern Kendall County portion lies in a different school district entirely. Civic life centers on the Fox River corridor and park areas, including the historic Mill District downtown and a newly renovated Montgomery Park. The town hosts annual events like Montgomery Fest and a River Run in autumn. Public transit is limited to suburban Pace bus service; there is no commuter rail station.
McDole is a typical early-grades elementary school in a growing suburban corridor. The proficiency data shows room for strengthening in upper elementary, especially math. The school is set to benefit from the district's capital improvements. Families moving to the area should know that this is a small school in a car-dependent exurban setting, anchored in newer residential growth rather than an urban or even traditional suburban walkable core.
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