Ridgewood Elem School, Rock Island IL

Original Research by School Decision on Ridgewood Elem School

Ridgewood Elementary is a small, classically structured K-6 school serving a neighborhood in Rock Island with an enrollment that remains stable across most grade levels, though with fewer upper-elementary students. The school is embedded in Rock Island SD 41, a district undergoing significant change in both pedagogy and facilities planning.

State testing results from 2025 show an uneven profile. English language arts performance is notably stronger in upper grades—sixth grade shows solid proficiency—while third and fourth grades come in lower. Math proficiency is generally weak through fifth grade, with a meaningful improvement in sixth grade. Science testing is sparse in the available data, with only a fifth-grade result showing low proficiency. The pattern suggests that instruction may strengthen as students advance through the school, or that sixth graders arriving at Ridgewood benefit from learning in earlier grades. State assessment scoring changed this year, so direct comparison to prior years is not possible. A parent may want to look into these specific subject and grade areas directly with the school and understand how classroom instruction aligns with the district's newly adopted science-of-reading curricula.

The student body is predominantly white, with a meaningful Black student population and smaller Asian, Hispanic, and multiracial groups represented. Data on free- or reduced-price lunch eligibility and on students receiving special education or English learner services is not available. Demographically, the school draws from a mixed neighborhood in a slowly declining city, and the district's ongoing facilities assessment suggests that boundary shifts or even school consolidation could be in view over the next several years. That kind of structural change is worth asking the district about directly if you are considering the school.

The broader district is in motion. Rock Island SD 41 has adopted literacy curricula aligned with science-of-reading principles—Core Knowledge Language Arts in K-2 and Expeditionary Learning through eighth grade—and launched a districtwide reading initiative. Early accountability results show some schools improving at least one rating level. The district also recently completed a new central administration and production kitchen facility, representing a capital commitment to centralized meal and logistics operations. A formal facilities management plan is underway that evaluates possible school consolidations, parking changes, and building upgrades. For families considering enrollment, these moves signal investment in curriculum but also the practical reality that the district is actively rethinking its footprint and operations. Asking the school and district about their timeline and any boundary changes relevant to this attendance area is prudent.

The neighborhood and city context is that of a mid-sized Mississippi River city with slow population decline, where civic anchors include Augustana College to the east, a historic downtown with modest revitalization efforts, and the Rock Island Arsenal. Housing values and rents here are below state and national benchmarks, making the area more affordable than many parts of Illinois. The broader school district serves both Rock Island and the adjacent village of Milan.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 323%

School 23% · District 34% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

Grade 424%

School 24% · District 28% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 529%

School 29% · District 16% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 644%

School 44% · District 19% · ▲ 24 pts above district

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 332%

School 32% · District 31% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 12 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 422%

School 22% · District 30% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Grade 539%

School 39% · District 27% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 670%

School 70% · District 39% · ▲ 30 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 30 pts above county median

Science

Grade 526%

School 26% · District 19% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▼ 11 pts below state median · even with county median

This schoolRock Island SD 41, 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.