The top reported proficiency rate is 47% in English language arts. The lowest is 38% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Willow Elem School
Willow Elem School serves kindergarten through third grade in Pekin, Illinois, a mid-sized Illinois River city that blends residential neighborhoods with industrial sites, commercial corridors, and parks. The school sits in an area where older residential blocks of craftsman homes and early-20th-century housing sit near the city's commercial core, with working-class neighborhoods to the north.
This is a small school by enrollment. The grades it serves—kindergarten through third—are not tested under Illinois' state assessment system, which means there is no state test data available for most of the school. The exception is third grade, where Willow shows state assessment results. In English language arts, third graders' proficiency rate is in the lower-to-middle range; in math, proficiency is noticeably lower. Both subjects saw changes to the state's performance standards this year, so year-to-year trends are not directly comparable.
The school's student population is predominantly white, with a small share of Hispanic students and very few students of other backgrounds. Free and reduced price lunch data were not available, so the economic makeup of the student body is not known from the public record. Special education and English learner counts were also missing. Among schools in Tazewell County, Willow's overall proficiency index places it above the county median, a moderate position.
Pekin is actively pursuing residential growth. The city has completed a major purchase for mixed-use development, is encouraging new single-family construction through tax-increment financing districts, and recently approved new duplex housing. Local realtors describe a tight market with many buyers and limited inventory. Median home values in the area show strong appreciation, and monthly rent is modest relative to local incomes. The Pekin Park District operates 13 parks spanning substantial acreage, anchored by Mineral Springs Park downtown, which includes a water park, skate park, sports fields, and trails.
In the district, Washington and Wilson Intermediate Schools moved to Standards-Based Grading and Reporting for the current school year, a shift that affects how student progress is communicated on report cards and in conferences. The district participates in the federal Community Eligibility Provision, which provides free breakfast and lunch daily to all enrolled students with no application needed. Pekin PSD is the largest property tax obligation on local tax bills, so school funding decisions carry weight for homeowners.
A parent may want to reach out directly to Willow to discuss the school's curriculum, class sizes, and student support for the early grades, as the state testing data cover only third grade and do not show detailed enrollment or demographic counts.
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