The top reported proficiency rate is 24% in English language arts. The lowest is 13% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Mcintosh Elementary
McIntosh Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in north-central Rockford, in a regular public school setting within Rockford SD 205. The school enrolls a student body of roughly 400, with a racial and ethnic composition that is majority Black, with substantial shares of Latino, white, and multiracial students. The school's specific enrollment by grade sits in the mid-60s to low-70s per grade level, creating a stable, neighborhood-school-sized community.
The academic picture at McIntosh is one that warrants direct conversation with the school. State test data from Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) across grades three through five shows proficiency rates that are notably low. In math, the rates range from roughly one in ten students in grade five to one in six in grade four; in English language arts, roughly one in five in grade three, one in four in grade four, and roughly one in three in grade five. Science proficiency in grade five stands at roughly one in seven. These are among the weakest results in Winnebago County's district group—the school's overall proficiency index places it at the bottom quartile relative to other county districts. Test participation rates are strong, at near or above 95 percent across the subjects tested, so this reflects actual learning levels, not assessment access issues. The parent reading this should ask the school directly what instructional changes, supports, or resource constraints are in play, and what the school's own data show about where students are gaining ground.
McIntosh does not report free or reduced price lunch rates, nor does it report special education or English learner enrollment counts. These are details a parent should request from the school itself, as they often predict the intensity of need and the breadth of on-site supports available.
The district context matters here. Rockford SD 205 has just implemented an earlier school calendar across all buildings—the 2025-26 school year began in mid-August and ends in late May—now that all school buildings have air conditioning. For families, this is a logistical shift with implications for summer planning. More substantially, the district has approved a five-year facilities master plan that will reshape how career and college programs are delivered, pulling them out of the four high schools into a new college-and-career center and expanding International Baccalaureate and STEAM offerings downward into middle school. McIntosh will not directly host these career programs, but the ecosystem of what comes next for its students—and where professional and technical preparation happens—is in flux.
Rockford itself is a mid-sized Illinois city experiencing a notable recent turn. The city lost population for roughly a decade through the early 2020s but gained a substantial number of residents between 2023 and 2024, a reversal driven by housing affordability and new residential development. Downtown revitalization is underway, with new mixed-use buildings, adaptive reuse of historic structures, and the new Main Library that opened in 2024. The Rock River Rec Path and riverfront parks anchor civic life. Walkability citywide is low, though downtown itself is rated as walkable. Major employers span healthcare, advanced manufacturing with aerospace specialization, and education. The housing market is appreciating and ranked highly for affordability nationally; median home values in the area are modest by national standards.
McIntosh's location on the near north side puts it in a part of the city where families tend to be cost-conscious and where schools serve concentrated student populations with high academic need. The proficiency data here reflect that, and they signal that a parent or prospective resident should have a clear-eyed conversation with school leadership about what the school is doing to move these numbers and what additional support or intervention the child might need.
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