The top reported proficiency rate is 42% in English language arts. The lowest is 33% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Thomas S Baldwin Elem Sch
Thomas S. Baldwin Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Quincy, a small Mississippi River city in west-central Illinois. It is one of five elementary schools in Quincy School District 172, a district that this school year implemented a district-wide shift in reading and math instruction, moving to Benchmark Workshop literacy and Reveal Math curricula across all its K-5 buildings.
The school enrolls a small population across six grades, with the enrollment relatively balanced across grade levels. The student body is predominantly white, with a meaningful share identifying as two or more races, and smaller groups of Black and Hispanic students and a small Asian population. Racial demographic composition is the most specific available marker of the student peer group; data on free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility and on English learners was not available.
Academic performance on state assessments (Illinois Assessment of Readiness in reading and math, Illinois Science Assessment at grade five) shows consistent results in the lower range. In math, proficiency rates across grades three, four, and five cluster between roughly a quarter and two-fifths of students meeting state standards. English language arts results are slightly higher overall, particularly in grade five where proficiency is just over half; grades three and four fall in the range of one-third to two-fifths. Science proficiency in grade five is similarly positioned at roughly one-third. These results place the school below the midpoint when compared to other districts in Adams County. The district's new curriculum adoption is in its first year of implementation, a context a parent may want to keep in mind when looking at these early-year results.
The housing market in Quincy is active and affordable by regional standards. Home values are moderate, and monthly rent is also modest relative to local household income. Recent development includes new retail, a revitalized downtown district with new and renovation projects, and an intentional push to add residential supply; the city is working on housing reforms and zoning changes to expand availability. The community is positioned as a regional commercial and healthcare hub, with Blessing Hospital as the dominant employer alongside manufacturing (Knapheide, Titan Tire), a major grocery-headquartered corporation (Niemann Foods), and government and education employers. Quincy Transit Lines provides local bus service, and Amtrak serves the city with two daily trains.
Thomas S. Baldwin sits in the context of a stable, small-city school district in an economically diverse place with visible civic infrastructure and active neighborhood life, both downtown and in residential areas. The school itself holds enrollment stable across a full elementary band and serves a racially mixed student body. Academic performance is currently lagging county peer schools, and a parent evaluating the school should understand that context clearly and may want to discuss directly with school leadership how the new curriculum is being supported and what progress the school expects in coming years.
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