The top reported proficiency rate is 27% in Math. The lowest is 24% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on L E Starke Elem School
L E Starke Elementary serves kindergarten through third grade in Pekin, a mid-sized Illinois River city that blends residential neighborhoods with commercial and industrial uses. The school sits on Holiday Drive in a community where residential revitalization, industrial employment, and civic amenities like the Pekin Park District's Mineral Springs Park anchor daily life.
The school enrolls a small cohort across four grades. Demographically, the enrollment is predominantly white, with smaller populations of students identifying as Black, Hispanic, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and multiracial. Free or reduced-price lunch data and special-population counts were not available, limiting visibility into economic need or services for students with disabilities and English learners at this school.
On the Illinois Assessment of Readiness, Starke's third-grade results show low proficiency. In math, approximately a quarter of third-graders scored proficient or above, while English language arts proficiency was similarly low. These are the only grades with reported assessment data; the school does not serve grades four through eight, so no additional state testing results are available. The school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile relative to other school districts in Tazewell County. A parent may want to look into further detail with the school about intervention strategies in early literacy and numeracy and about the specific curriculum and supports in place for third graders.
Pekin PSD 108, the district that operates Starke, is actively engaged in school improvement. Starting in the 2025-2026 year, the district's intermediate schools are moving to standards-based grading and reporting, a change designed to give families clearer communication about student progress toward specific standards. The district also participates in the Community Eligibility Provision, which provides free breakfast and lunch daily to all enrolled students without application. At the property-tax level, the district is the largest line item on Pekin homeowners' bills, making levy decisions central to local financial planning.
Pekin itself is in active growth mode. The city completed a purchase of the Lutticken Property for mixed-use development, is extending Veterans Drive to bypass downtown congestion, and is encouraging single-family home construction through tax-increment financing. Local realtors report strong demand and limited inventory. Housing values in the area have been rising, and rental costs are modest relative to income, making Pekin relatively affordable compared to state and national medians.
Starke is a neighborhood school serving young learners in a district and city engaged with questions of growth, pedagogy, and family financial support. Early reading and math proficiency are below peer norms and warrant close attention from parents considering enrollment or currently using the school.
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