Long Beach Elem School, Montgomery IL

Original Research by School Decision on Long Beach Elem School

Long Beach Elementary School serves grades pre-K through fifth grade in Montgomery, a rapidly growing Fox River suburb roughly 40 to 45 miles southwest of Chicago on the western edge of the metro area. The school is part of CUSD 308, a district that spans both Kane and Kendall counties and has been managing significant growth from early-2000s subdivisions like Lakewood Creek and Lakewood Creek West.

The school's enrollment is distributed across its grade band, with the largest concentration in third grade. The student body is majority Hispanic, with substantial Black and white populations and smaller Asian and multiracial groups. Free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility data was not available, limiting a full picture of economic need at this school.

On the most recent Illinois state assessments (2024-25), Long Beach's results fall notably below where a parent might hope. In math, third-grade proficiency sits around one-third of students, dropping to roughly one-fifth by fourth grade and one-sixth by fifth grade. English language arts shows similar patterns: third graders score around one-third, while fourth graders reach roughly two-fifths (the school's highest mark), and fifth graders decline to around one-third. Fifth-grade science proficiency was near one-quarter. These results place the school in the bottom quartile among the districts in Kendall County on an overall proficiency index. A parent may want to look into whether the school has specific improvement initiatives underway and what targeted support exists for students in foundational skills.

The district itself has invested in curriculum changes. In 2022 it adopted new K-5 social studies and junior-high math materials centered on project-based and problem-based inquiry, available in English and Spanish. This represents a deliberate pedagogical shift meant to shape daily classroom instruction. More recently, the district approved a long-range facility plan and is considering a bond referendum for November 2026 to fund HVAC, roof, and flooring upgrades at schools built during the growth boom. District officials project that because existing debt is being retired simultaneously, a home of typical market value in the area would see meaningful property-tax decreases tied to debt service in 2028 and beyond, making this a material consideration for families thinking about the area.

Montgomery itself is primarily auto-oriented and not walkable overall, though the village has invested in Fox River trail connectivity and streetscape work around the historic Mill District downtown. The area has grown substantially, driven by single-family subdivisions, and now hosts manufacturing and distribution employers including the Aurora Caterpillar plant and newer operations like Ravago, a polymer and plastics distribution facility. Housing values in the 60538 zip code reflect the outer-suburban location, with a median home value modestly above the state benchmark. Rental housing is more limited and proportionally costly relative to income.

State testing data was collected; school data on special education and English learner enrollment counts were not provided. The school's website and details on specific programs or staff supports were also not available.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 336%

School 36% · District 57% · ▼ 21 pts below district

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

Grade 421%

School 21% · District 46% · ▼ 25 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

Grade 516%

School 16% · District 41% · ▼ 24 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 336%

School 36% · District 57% · ▼ 21 pts below district

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

Grade 439%

School 39% · District 60% · ▼ 21 pts below district

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

Grade 529%

School 29% · District 59% · ▼ 30 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 523%

School 23% · District 50% · ▼ 26 pts below district

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

This schoolCUSD 308, 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.