The top reported proficiency rate is 60% in English language arts. The lowest is 52% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Haskell Elementary School
Haskell Elementary School sits in a school district navigating substantial change. The school itself serves about three-quarters of the way through elementary, teaching kindergarten through fifth grade in central Rockford. Its enrollment is small and stable, drawn from the immediate neighborhood with racial diversity: a substantial Black population alongside significant numbers of white, Hispanic, and Asian students.
The most recent state test results show proficiency across math, English language arts, and science at levels that run in the low to mid-range. In third grade math, roughly half the students scored proficient. Fourth grade math dips slightly lower. Fifth grade math and English language arts both hover in the low to mid-50s range, while fifth grade science shows a similar proficiency level. Students participate in testing at high rates, near complete. The school's overall proficiency index places it above the midpoint among the county's districts in Winnebago County, meaning it performs better than some peer schools nearby but does not reach the top tier.
The school carries a STEAM designation in district records, which reflects Rockford SD 205's expansion of science and engineering learning. The district is in the middle of a major five-year facilities plan that includes moving career-focused programs to a new college-and-career center, freeing classroom space, and pushing STEAM and International Baccalaureate instruction down into the middle grades. For families at Haskell, this signals growing emphasis on hands-on learning in science and technology as students move forward. The district also moved the school calendar earlier, with the 2025-26 year starting mid-August and finishing in late May, aligning with neighboring systems.
Haskell sits in central Rockford, a mid-sized city of roughly one hundred thousand on the Rock River. Rockford has an industrial heritage alongside healthcare, aerospace, and logistics activity. The downtown has been undergoing revitalization with mixed-use development, a newly reopened public library, and riverfront parks. For those who live within a short walk, the downtown and civic anchor institutions are accessible; citywide walkability is low, and daily activity is spread across neighborhoods and suburban-style commercial corridors along East State Street, Perryville Road, and Riverside Boulevard.
Housing in the Rockford market is considered affordable relative to state and national benchmarks. Median home values in the area are substantially below the state average, and monthly rental costs are modest. The city recorded population growth recently after a long period of decline, and a commuter rail service to Chicago is expected to open in 2027, which may reshape the community's character over the coming years. The housing market ranked highly nationally in 2025 for value and has seen meaningful price appreciation.
Haskell's curriculum and peer setting center on the early elementary grades, with limited on-the-ground data about school climate, staffing, special services, or how it compares on measures like chronic absence. A parent may want to look into these aspects directly with the school. The school offers no information on how it serves students with disabilities or English learners, and Title I status was not reported. The school holds the fundamentals of a small neighborhood elementary serving a diverse student body in a city experiencing economic and civic recovery.
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