Jefferson Elem School, Morton IL

Original Research by School Decision on Jefferson Elem School

Jefferson Elementary is a small, neighborhood-serving K–6 school in Morton, Illinois, a growing residential village about 10 miles southeast of Peoria. The school enrolls a modest student body, predominantly white with representation across several racial and ethnic backgrounds, in a community where homeownership is high and residential development is expanding into new subdivisions like Fieldstone and Morton Estates.

On academic measures, Jefferson shows a clear pattern: strong third-grade performance balanced against measurable softness in the upper elementary grades. In both math and English language arts, third graders reach proficiency at solid rates. By fourth and fifth grade, however, proficiency in math drops notably—fewer than half of fourth and fifth graders meet proficiency standards in math, while science proficiency at fifth grade hovers at just above the midpoint. English language arts holds somewhat more steadily across grades four through six, in the mid-to-upper-60s, though still below the third-grade baseline. The school participates fully in state testing, with nearly complete participation across grades.

When placed against the 14 other schools in Tazewell County that have reported proficiency data, Jefferson sits above the county median in its overall proficiency index, meaning students here are performing in the upper half of their county peers. That positioning reflects strength, though it also comes with the reality that the county contains schools at both lower and higher proficiency levels.

The school is part of Morton CUSD 709, a district undergoing structural change. An executive director position consolidating curriculum, instruction, technology, and safety oversight is beginning in mid-2025, signaling a push toward unified instructional and technology leadership. The district is also weighing a technology task force package that would reshape classroom device use and cell-phone policies should it move forward. Additionally, a countywide one-cent sales tax referendum is coming to voters, which if passed would create new dedicated funding for schools across Tazewell County—a fiscal factor worth monitoring for families considering the area.

Morton itself is a place of modest growth and stability. Median home values in the local market are accessible, and demand remains strong; homes sell within a matter of weeks, and inventory has grown. The village has a walkable downtown along Main Street with small shops and restaurants, parks anchored by a summer concert series and recreation center, and regular transit to Peoria via CityLink. Major employers—Caterpillar's distribution center, Nestlé's iconic pumpkin cannery, and regional healthcare—keep the local economy grounded.

The academic trajectory at Jefferson warrants a parent's closer look: what accounts for the sharp decline from third to fourth grade in math, and what support exists to help students bridge that gap? A parent might ask the school directly about intervention strategies, instructional approaches in the fourth and fifth grades, and whether particular cohorts have characteristics the data does not show. The school's above-county-median standing suggests solid teaching overall, but the grade-level pattern suggests that upper-elementary students may need targeted support to sustain momentum. For families in or considering Morton, Jefferson offers an accessible, neighborhood-based elementary path with the caveat that students entering the fourth grade should expect closer attention to math proficiency.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 378%

School 78% · District 74% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

Grade 443%

School 43% · District 65% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 541%

School 41% · District 65% · ▼ 24 pts below district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 642%

School 42% · District 62% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 380%

School 80% · District 76% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 36 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Grade 464%

School 64% · District 80% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 567%

School 67% · District 75% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 665%

School 65% · District 74% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Science

Grade 561%

School 61% · District 61% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

This schoolMorton CUSD 709, 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.