The top reported proficiency rate is 71% in English language arts. The lowest is 62% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Abraham Lincoln Elem School
Abraham Lincoln Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Oak Park, a densely walkable Chicago suburb with strong architectural character and a tight-knit civic fabric. The school sits within the village's residential grid, part of Oak Park Elementary School District 97, which spans eight elementary and two middle schools serving the community.
The school enrolls a small-to-mid-sized population for its grade band, with a student body that reflects the village's diversity. The racial and ethnic composition is substantially mixed, with a plurality of white students alongside substantial shares of Hispanic, Black, Asian, and multiracial families. Specific enrollment by grade shows consistent cohorts across the K-5 span, with a small pre-K program as well. Data on students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the socioeconomic profile and whether programs like Title I support are present.
On the 2024-25 Illinois state assessments, Abraham Lincoln's students showed mixed performance across math and English language arts. In ELA, results were stronger in the upper elementary grades—third grade at slightly above mid-range, fourth grade at a solid level, and fifth grade performing above mid-range. Math proficiency was somewhat lower, hovering around the middle band across third, fourth, and fifth grades. In the one science test reported (fifth grade), proficiency landed in the upper-middle range. Test participation rates were consistently high, above ninety percent in nearly all grades.
Relative to other districts in Cook County, Abraham Lincoln's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile when averaging across tested subjects and grades. This is a strength worth noting: the school performs above the county median and well above the county minimum, suggesting solid instruction across the board. However, parents should note that cut scores for Illinois assessments changed in 2024-25, making year-to-year comparisons within the school difficult; the data available here is current but does not show whether the school is moving up, down, or holding steady over time.
The school is a regular public school operated by District 97. It is not a magnet, charter, or Title I school. State data on specific programs, staffing, special education enrollment, English learner supports, discipline, or attendance was not available, so a parent should reach out to the school to understand what special programs, interventions, or enrichment options exist and how the school serves students with IEPs or English language learners.
District 97 is in the midst of curriculum and schedule transitions that will affect families. The district piloted three new K-5 English language arts resources during the 2024-25 school year at multiple schools, including Abraham Lincoln, to replace the Units of Study program that had been in place for years. A final adoption decision is pending, so families should expect a new ELA curriculum to roll out. Additionally, the district has faced budget tightening: in early 2026, the board voted to eliminate two central-office administrator positions and laid off eight teachers district-wide for the 2026-27 school year. This signals a tighter budget environment going forward, and parents may want to monitor whether an operating referendum is called in the near term.
Oak Park itself is a well-maintained, architecturally distinctive village with exceptional walkability and civic infrastructure. Housing values in the area are mid-range for the Chicago metro, and the community is built out rather than expanding, meaning new housing is largely infill and redevelopment. The village has strong transit access via Metra, CTA Green and Blue Lines, and Pace bus, and daily life is organized around a dense network of small parks, the library, and multiple neighborhood business districts anchored by downtown. Schools sit embedded in the residential fabric rather than isolated on campuses, which shapes how families access them and how school life integrates with neighborhood activity.
For a family evaluating Abraham Lincoln, the key questions center on the school's instructional quality (which state data suggests is solid, particularly in ELA), the nature of supports and programs for students with varied needs, and how the school community feels as a peer environment. State test results give one picture, but they do not capture class size, school culture, staff stability, or how the school handles students who are not yet proficient. A campus visit and conversation with current parents and administrators would round out the data available here.
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