The top reported proficiency rate is 41% in English language arts. The lowest is 29% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Lincoln Elementary School
Lincoln Elementary School serves grades preK through 6 in a suburban setting in Palatine, Illinois, north of Chicago. The school has an enrollment of roughly 740 students spread across a spectrum of backgrounds. The student population reflects significant diversity: a plurality are Hispanic, with substantial representation of white, Asian, and Black students, as well as smaller numbers of multiracial and Native American students. Specific data on students receiving free or reduced-price meals or on the proportions of English learners and students with IEPs were not available.
The school's recent state assessment data shows areas of challenge. In mathematics, tested grades show proficiency rates ranging from about 21 percent to 43 percent across third through fifth grade. English language arts proficiency ranges from about 37 percent to 45 percent in the same grades. A fifth-grade science assessment yielded a proficiency rate of about 29 percent. For context, the school's overall proficiency index places it below the midpoint among Cook County school districts. These results reflect a peer environment where substantial numbers of students are not yet meeting state standards in core subjects.
Grade 6 was tested in 2024–25 but the results are not yet available in the data. Grades 7 and above do not appear in the proficiency data, which is typical for a building that primarily serves younger elementary and middle grades.
The district serving the school, Palatine Community Consolidated School District 15, has undergone significant reorganization and investment. A bond referendum in November 2022 authorized major capital spending that has now renovated 12 school buildings, updated classrooms and libraries, and added science labs and STEM spaces. The district moved to full-day kindergarten beginning in the 2024–25 school year, replacing the prior half-day model. It also reconfigured its grade structures, converting junior highs into middle schools and moving sixth grade into those buildings, which affects both where children attend school and their peer groupings. Attendance boundaries were redrawn in 2024–25 to align with the new configuration and to equitably distribute special education, multilingual, and gifted programs across buildings.
Palatine itself is a suburban residential village roughly 26 to 30 miles northwest of Chicago, with a mixed-use downtown clustered around the Metra commuter rail station and single-family neighborhoods spreading outward. Home values and rents in the area have shown modest year-over-year growth. The community is anchored by the Palatine Park District, which operates 28 parks and recreational facilities, and the Metra station on the Union Pacific Northwest Line, which offers commuter access to downtown Chicago. Major employers include Weber-Stephen Products, the USPS distribution hub, Harper College, and the district itself.
For a family considering Lincoln Elementary, the relevant takeaway is that this is a school serving a diverse neighborhood with measurable academic challenges in core subjects, embedded in a district that is actively investing in facilities and making significant structural changes to how students progress through grades. The school's peer environment is one where substantial remediation and support services are likely active. A parent may want to look further into what specific instructional or support programs the school offers, particularly for students approaching or below grade-level proficiency.
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