The top reported proficiency rate is 30% in English language arts. The lowest is 13% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Gregory Elem School
Gregory Elem School is a public elementary school in Rockford serving kindergarten through fifth grade, with an enrollment of about four hundred students across six grade levels. The school is located in the Carol Court neighborhood on Rockford's west side.
The student body is substantially diverse. Hispanic and Black students together make up roughly two-thirds of the enrollment, with Hispanic students representing the largest group at about half. White students account for roughly one-sixth of the population, and Asian students and students identifying as two or more races make up smaller shares. Free-or-reduced-price-lunch data was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the percentage of students qualifying for meal assistance, which often correlates with economic context in a building.
State testing data from spring 2025 shows proficiency rates that are low across tested grades and subjects. In English language arts, third grade scored at roughly one-third of students proficient or above, fourth grade at roughly one-fifth, and fifth grade at roughly two-fifths. Math proficiency is notably lower: third grade at roughly one-fifth, fourth grade at roughly one-tenth, and fifth grade at roughly one-eighth. In science, fifth grade was proficient or near-proficient at roughly one-eighth. These figures reflect substantial challenges in reading and math skills at this school. The comparison fact-set for Winnebago County districts places Gregory's overall proficiency in the bottom quartile among the county's schools.
It is important to note that Illinois changed the scoring criteria on its state assessments in 2025, which makes year-to-year comparisons uncertain. Participation rates in both ELA and math were strong to near-complete, meaning these results represent what students actually demonstrated rather than gaps in testing coverage.
The school serves kindergarten through fifth grade only; state testing occurs in grades three through five, and only grades three and five had data available for all subjects. Sixth grade and above do not attend Gregory, so there are no graduation rates or high school outcomes to report.
Rockford as a community is a mid-sized manufacturing and healthcare hub on the Rock River in northern Illinois. After a decade of population decline, the city has reversed course and is growing, with downtown mixed-use development, a revitalized public library that opened in 2024, and improved walkability in the downtown core, though the broader city remains car-dependent. Housing values in the zip code are modest relative to state and national benchmarks, and rents are affordable, making the area accessible on a working family's budget. Rockford Public Schools recently started the school year two weeks earlier and now ends before winter break, with all buildings air-conditioned.
A parent considering Gregory should understand that the school's current academic performance is below the county median and that reading and math proficiency are areas where many students are not yet meeting grade-level standards. Conversations with the school's leadership about instructional focus, intervention strategies, and support for families could help clarify what the school is doing to address these gaps and what a family might expect for their child's learning trajectory.
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