Sugar Creek Elem School, Normal IL

Original Research by School Decision on Sugar Creek Elem School

Sugar Creek Elementary serves grades pre-K through 5 in Normal, Illinois, part of McLean County Unit 5. The school enrolls a diverse student population that is roughly evenly split between white and Black students, with additional representation from Asian, Hispanic, and multiracial families. The enrollment includes a large pre-K cohort, reflecting the school's role in the district's early childhood programming.

State testing results from the most recent year show modest proficiency in both English language arts and math. In grades 3 and 4, math proficiency falls well below the midpoint among districts in McLean County. Grade 5 shows some improvement in both subjects. Science testing at grade 5 sits around the middle range. The data from grades 6, 7 and 8 are not reported, which aligns with the school's grade band through 5th grade. A parent may want to look into this further with the school, particularly around the support structures in place for students working below proficiency in the early elementary years, as these grades form the foundation for later learning.

The school sits in Normal, a college town built around Illinois State University with a revitalized downtown (Uptown Normal) offering walkable shopping, dining and civic spaces. The area has experienced growth driven by Rivian's electric vehicle manufacturing facility and university expansion, though housing supply has strained to keep pace. Median home values in the area are moderate relative to the state and nation, and rental costs are similarly accessible, though new rental units have been limited. The regional economy includes State Farm Insurance, Illinois State University, Rivian, and regional health systems as major employers.

Unit 5's funding landscape shifted significantly in 2023 when voters approved a property tax increase that averted planned cuts to athletics, music, field trips and extracurriculars at the junior high level. In 2025, voters approved a county-wide sales tax on retail, gasoline and prepared foods to fund school facilities, mental health services and resource officers, with a portion of revenue earmarked to reduce property taxes. The district completed an enrollment and boundary study in 2025-26 that will reshape attendance areas starting in 2027-28 to address crowding at several elementary schools, including potential changes for current Sugar Creek students, though those already enrolled would be grandfathered in their current assignments.

Sugar Creek appears positioned as a neighborhood elementary serving younger learners in a growth corridor. Early proficiency trends merit attention, and families should understand that boundary changes may reshape the school's enrollment and peer composition in coming years as the district rebalances across its elementary portfolio.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 326%

School 26% · District 48% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Grade 424%

School 24% · District 46% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 536%

School 36% · District 42% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 324%

School 24% · District 50% · ▼ 26 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 28 pts below county median

Grade 432%

School 32% · District 53% · ▼ 20 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 561%

School 61% · District 57% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Science

Grade 544%

School 44% · District 48% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▲ 8 pts above state median · even with county median

This schoolMcLean County USD 5, 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.