The top reported proficiency rate is 50% in English language arts. The lowest is 36% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Mechanics Grove Elem School
Mechanics Grove Elementary serves grades three through five in Mundelein, a Lake County village undergoing active residential and commercial growth anchored by Medline Industries and a diversified manufacturing base. The school enrolls a student body of roughly medium size for its grade span, with a student composition that is substantially Hispanic, White, Asian, and multiracial in roughly equivalent balance; racial and ethnic diversity is a defining feature of the enrollment. Free-and-reduced-price-lunch eligibility data was not available, and neither were counts for students with individualized education plans or English learners, so a complete picture of economic hardship or language support needs cannot be drawn from the available data.
On Illinois state assessments administered in the most recent school year, the school's proficiency profile is mixed and uneven across grade levels. In grade five, the school shows a notable strength: roughly two-thirds of students reached proficiency in English language arts, and roughly half did so in science. Grade four performance dips substantially, with about half of students proficient in English language arts but roughly one-third proficient in math. Grade three shows a different split: math proficiency slightly exceeds English language arts proficiency at that level. Across grades three and four in math, proficiency falls below the midpoint that one would expect in a typical county district. Overall, the school's proficiency index—a composite of results across tested subjects and grades—sits below the median among Lake County's school districts. A parent may want to look further into the school's approaches to math instruction and what supports exist for students who do not reach proficiency on the first attempt.
The school is part of Mundelein Elementary School District 75, a K-8 district that offers a two-way immersion English-Spanish dual language program as an option for families seeking bilingual education. That program represents a distinctive curriculum choice within the district. The district recently held a public hearing on a property tax levy increase for the 2024 levy year, which affects the school's funding environment and carries ongoing cost implications for Mundelein families through property taxes.
Mundelein itself is a mixed-character suburb with strong transit access via the downtown Metra station on the North Central Service line and a defined civic center anchored by Village Hall and Kracklauer Park. The village sits along four state highways and is experiencing steady infill near downtown—including new mixed-use residential projects like AREA Apartments opening in 2026—alongside larger suburban-edge subdivisions. Housing values in the broader Mundelein area reflect mid-suburban pricing typical of the Chicago region, with rental costs relatively stable. The village's economic foundation centers on manufacturing and the medical products industry, alongside healthcare and retail employment, creating a stable if not high-income local context.
Mechanics Grove is a regular public neighborhood school without magnet or charter status. Its academic results point to a school that has particular strength in upper-elementary English language arts and science but faces headwinds in math proficiency across the lower grades in its span. Families considering this school should view the math performance data as a concrete area to discuss with school leadership about instruction, intervention, and support availability.
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