The top reported proficiency rate is 86% in Science. The lowest is 71% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Towanda Elem School
Towanda Elementary School is a small, self-contained K-5 building of about the size typical for a rural elementary serving the village of Towanda and surrounding subdivisions in McLean County. The school enrolls students across six grades, with the largest cohorts in the early primary years and a slight taper in upper elementary; special education and English learner enrollment data were not available in state reports.
The most recent state testing results, from 2024-25, show a school where reading is a consistent strength but math proficiency declines sharply in the upper grades. In third and fourth grade, around three-fourths of students achieved proficiency in math. By fifth grade, that figure dropped to about three-fifths. In English language arts, the pattern is reversed: about four-fifths of third and fourth graders met proficiency, and that climbed to a strong near-universal level in fifth grade. Fifth-grade science proficiency was solid, at better than four-fifths. All students tested were administered the assessments.
When you compare Towanda's overall proficiency index—the mean of all tested subject and grade combinations—against the other districts serving McLean County, the school lands in the top quartile. This strength is driven largely by the reading results and the solid fifth-grade science showing. The soft spot is math in the upper end of the school's grade band. A parent may want to ask the school directly about what math support looks like in grades four and five, whether there is additional tutoring or small-group work available, and what the transition to junior high mathematics instruction entails.
Towanda sits at 304 S East St within the village footprint, embedded in the residential community rather than on a separate campus. The village itself is quite small and rural, oriented toward commuting to Bloomington-Normal for employment. The school is one of several civic anchors in town; others include the Towanda District Library and a walking-biking parkway built on former Route 66 lanes. Housing values in the 61776 zip code are moderate and have appreciated modestly year-over-year. The area has a stable, low-density residential character with most working-age residents commuting outside the village.
The district, McLean County Unit District 5, underwent a significant tax and funding shift in the past few years. In 2023, voters approved an increase to the property tax education fund rate after an initial defeat, which averted cuts to field trips, athletics, extracurriculars and music. More recently, in 2025, McLean County voters approved a sales tax dedicated to school facilities, safety and mental health services, with a portion of revenue earmarked to reduce property taxes. Publicly reported details indicate the district completed a comprehensive enrollment and boundary study in 2025-26, with planned boundary adjustments, new facilities, and staff transitions to begin in the 2027-28 school year. Existing students would be grandfathered, so current enrollment would not be disrupted.
The racial composition of Towanda Elementary is predominantly white, with smaller representations of Asian students, Hispanic students, and students of other backgrounds. Free-and-reduced-price lunch eligibility was not reported in the state data, so you would want to ask the school directly about the proportion of students qualifying for subsidized meals if economic diversity is a factor you are weighing. The enrollment is stable and small enough that most families likely know staff and other families in the building.
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