The top reported proficiency rate is 23% in English language arts. The lowest is 8% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on C Henry Bloom Elem School
C Henry Bloom Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Rockford, located in the Brendenwood neighborhood on the city's west side. The school enrolls a diverse student body reflecting the city's broader demographics: about a third of students are Black, a fifth are Hispanic, a quarter are white, and the remainder include Asian and multiracial students. The enrollment is stable at around 400 students across its six grades, with balanced cohort sizes.
State test results for spring 2025 show the school is performing well below where parents would hope. In math, third graders achieved proficiency at the lower end, while fourth and fifth graders scored lower still. English language arts results follow a similar pattern, with fifth graders performing notably better than younger grades but still in the lower range overall. Fifth-grade science proficiency was quite low. The data suggests younger elementary students are stronger relative to their older peers, though proficiency rates across the board are modest.
When placed against the other districts in Winnebago County, Bloom's overall proficiency index falls into the bottom quartile. This is worth acknowledging directly: the school's test results trail the median performance of comparable elementary schools nearby. A parent considering Bloom may want to look into further detail with the school about its academic strategies, classroom supports, and any reading or math interventions in place to understand how the school is responding to these numbers.
The school is a regular public elementary in the Rockford School District (SD 205), which serves the city and surrounding communities. Rockford itself is a mid-sized Illinois city on the Rock River with a diversified economy in healthcare, manufacturing, logistics, and aerospace. The housing market is relatively affordable for Illinois, with median home values lower than state and national benchmarks and rental costs moderate as well. The city has recently stopped declining in population and begun modest growth, supported by downtown revitalization projects including a new public library, mixed-use residential development, and forthcoming commuter rail service to Chicago in 2027.
The district has approved an ambitious five-year facilities master plan that will touch every school building, including expansion of International Baccalaureate and STEAM programs into middle school, though a significant funding gap remains unresolved. The district also recently moved to a new school calendar starting in mid-August rather than early September, now that all buildings have air conditioning. Attendance boundaries were redrawn in 2021 and may affect which schools serve specific neighborhoods.
Bloom sits in a neighborhood setting rather than downtown, and like most Rockford schools, it is car-dependent. The city overall has low walkability outside of the downtown core, which sits several miles away. Families choosing a home in the Brendenwood area with Bloom as their assigned school should expect to drive to most daily activities. For families already committed to this part of Rockford, the school offers a stable, neighborhood-based elementary option. For families weighing choices, the current test performance warrants an in-person conversation with school leadership about instruction, support structures, and trajectory.
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