The top reported proficiency rate is 54% in Math. The lowest is 47% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Hawthorn Elem School
Hawthorn Elem is a small public elementary school in Salem, Illinois, serving kindergarten through third grade. The school sits in Marion County in south-central Illinois, in a county-seat town with a mix of civic anchors, residential neighborhoods, and highway-oriented commerce. Home to a student body drawn almost entirely from the Salem area, the school reflects the region's demographics and economy.
The school's math results in third grade show roughly half of students reaching proficiency, with a participation rate near universal. English language arts proficiency in third grade is somewhat lower, with roughly near-half meeting the standard. These are the only grade levels at Hawthorn where state test results are reported, because the school serves only K through 3. No data was available on teacher or staff composition, attendance, discipline, or free-and-reduced-price lunch eligibility, which are not unusual gaps for an early-grade building. The school's proficiency index places it in the top quartile among districts in Marion County on combined proficiency across tested subjects and grades.
Enrollment stands at just under four hundred students, relatively balanced across the four grades. The student population is predominantly white, with small shares of students from other racial and ethnic backgrounds. The school's racial composition reflects the broader Salem area, which is heavily white and historically rooted.
Salem itself is a small city serving as the county seat, positioned roughly halfway between the Indiana and Missouri borders on U.S. Route 50. It has a sparse suburban character, with high rates of homeownership and a population skewing toward families and retirees. Housing values in the area are modest by national standards, and the local economy is anchored by manufacturing employers like North American Lighting, health care, and a growing industrial park. The city adopted a new comprehensive plan in 2026 targeting industrial development and housing incentives, and building activity accelerated in 2025 with permits for manufacturing expansions and a new hospital renovation. The town has civic amenities including Bryan Memorial Park with recreational facilities and the Bryan-Bennett Library, anchored around a traditional county-seat downtown.
A parent considering Hawthorn should know this is a small, grade-restricted school in a stable, family-oriented small-city setting. State testing data is limited to third grade, which reflects the school's design rather than a weakness. The school's proficiency results show room for growth in both math and reading, and a parent may want to look into the school's specific approaches to literacy and numeracy instruction as children progress through the early grades. The school draws from and serves a community with modest economic resources, which shapes both peer composition and the broader civic and family context.
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