The top reported proficiency rate is 74% in English language arts. The lowest is 60% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Millburn Elem School
Millburn Elementary School serves a small rural-residential village in north-central Lake County, about a short drive northwest of Chicago. The school enrolls a modest mix of students across prekindergarten through fifth grade, drawn largely from the surrounding agricultural-zoned area where homes sit on large plots and equestrian culture shapes daily life. The enrollment is diverse by race and ethnicity, with a solid white plurality alongside meaningful populations of Hispanic, Asian, and Black students. Data on free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility, English learner status, and special education numbers were not provided, so a parent seeking that context should ask the school directly.
Reading and language arts is a relative strength. Across the tested grades, English language arts proficiency runs from the low-to-mid seventies, with third grade performing strongest and fourth grade slightly weaker. Mathematics proficiency is lower and more variable, ranging from the upper fifties to low sixties. Science proficiency at the fifth-grade level sits in the low sixties. The school participates fully in state testing, with near-universal participation rates. The state assessment changed cut scores recently, so year-over-year comparisons are not fully reliable, but the current results show ELA outpacing math by a meaningful margin. When positioned against other districts in Lake County, the school's overall proficiency index sits above the midpoint, suggesting it performs better than half of its county peers on tested subjects and grades, though well shy of the district's highest performers.
The school does not serve middle grades, so state testing results are only available through fifth grade, with no results shown for grades six through eight despite the school's designation carrying a prekindergarten-through-fifth grade band. A parent may want to confirm the grade configuration directly with the school to clarify which grades are housed there.
Old Mill Creek itself is a rural village of modest and stable population, dominated by open land, forest preserve, equestrian zoning, and the long-standing Tempel Farms operation. There is no downtown or concentrated commercial core. Most families live far enough from Millburn Elementary that busing is the norm. The village has no public library and relies on car travel via Interstate 94 for access to nearby Gurnee's employment and shopping. Housing values in the immediate Lake County area are moderate, with homes appreciating over the past year. The market for rentals reflects regional trends in affordability: rents are substantial relative to income, though less expensive than many suburban Chicago alternatives.
In spring 2024, the Millburn District 24 school board briefly withdrew from the statewide Reader's Choice Award book program, citing concerns about the titles on offer, before reversing course after sustained community push-back. The district reinstated the program with a parental opt-out. The episode is relevant because it illustrates the board's stance on curriculum selection and parental choice on reading materials — factors families consider when evaluating a school's responsiveness to community values.
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