The top reported proficiency rate is 71% in English language arts. The lowest is 53% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Washington Elem School
Washington Elem School serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Marion, Illinois, and sits at the heart of Marion CUSD 2, a district that spans Marion and Creal Springs in Williamson County. The school enrolls a small-to-mid-sized student body with a predominantly White population and a meaningful Black minority, alongside small numbers of Hispanic, Asian, and multiracial students. The school's demographic composition reflects Marion's character as a regional retail and civic center in Southern Illinois.
On academics, Washington Elem presents a mixed picture that a parent should examine closely. In mathematics, third and fourth graders show proficiency rates in the lower-to-mid range, while fifth graders dip noticeably lower, suggesting a possible widening gap as students advance. Fourth graders perform considerably stronger in English language arts than their third-grade peers, but fifth-grade results in ELA fall back to the mid-range. In the one science measure available (fifth grade), proficiency drops to just above one-half of students meeting the standard. Testing participation is universal across all grades where results are reported, so the numbers reflect the whole student population. When proficiency rates across all tested subjects and grades are averaged together, the school sits in the top quartile among the five comparable school-level proficiency measures in Williamson County, a meaningful strength. That said, the science result and the declining math trajectory in fifth grade deserve attention; a parent may want to ask the school directly what supports exist for students who fall short on these measures and whether interventions are already in place.
The school's testing data carries a note that state proficiency cut scores changed this year, so direct year-over-year comparison is not possible. State-reported data does not include average scale scores, free-or-reduced-price-lunch counts, special education rates, or English learner populations, so a fuller picture of academic need and resource allocation is not available here.
Marion itself sits in a period of active growth and reinvestment. Governor Pritzker broke ground in 2025 on a major retail and entertainment redevelopment of the former shopping mall using the state's first STAR Bond, and the city has launched affordable housing construction through both a new development and a partnership between Marion High School's Building Trades students and city efforts to rebuild neighborhood stock. Housing costs in the area are moderate relative to national benchmarks, with homeownership prices well below state and national medians and rents affordable on typical household incomes. The Carnegie Library, the Marion Cultural and Civic Center, Ray Fosse Park, and the Hub Recreation Center provide community anchors, and fixed-route transit via the Wildcat service connects residents within Marion and to neighboring communities.
The district brief found no recent referenda, curriculum changes, or property-tax shifts of lasting parent relevance, so the school's immediate operational context appears stable.
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