Saratoga Elem School, Morris IL - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Saratoga Elem School

Saratoga Elementary School serves about 766 students across pre-K through eighth grade in Morris, a small county seat in Grundy County roughly an hour southwest of Chicago. The school is a regular public school within Saratoga CCSD 60C, a district that also handles transportation for two other Morris-area schools and recently made a notable commitment to retaining its in-house busing operation through signing bonuses and staffing investments.

The school's testing profile shows considerable range across grades and subjects. English language arts is a clear strength at the upper grades, particularly grades 7 and 8 where proficiency reaches the mid-to-high range. Mathematics is more uneven. Fourth-grade math proficiency is moderately strong, fifth-grade holds steady, but grades 3, 6, and 7 drop into the lower-to-mid range, with seventh grade the weakest point. Science results appear in grades 5 and 8, showing modest proficiency in both. These patterns suggest that while the school is solid in upper-grade English and some mathematics, there are pockets where student performance dips below the midpoint, particularly in middle grades mathematics. A parent may want to look into what supports or interventions the school offers at these dip points, especially around sixth and seventh grades.

The school's proficiency index places it in the top quartile among Grundy County school entities, positioning Saratoga as a stronger performer regionally. However, this is a school-level measure, not a district-wide or statewide ranking.

Enrollment is stable at just under 800 students, with grades fairly evenly distributed across the kindergarten-through-eighth span. The student body is predominantly white, with a substantial Hispanic population making up roughly one-fifth of enrollment. Small numbers of Black, Asian, and multiracial students are also present. Free-or-reduced-price-lunch data and special education enrollment figures were not available in the data provided.

Morris itself is a mixed-character small city with a walkable historic downtown of 19th-century buildings and locally owned shops along the canal, surrounded by residential neighborhoods and auto-oriented commercial development near Interstates 80 and 55. Major employers include Morris Hospital, a nuclear power station, and large distribution and manufacturing operations. The city has seen continuing population growth and is planning additional residential development to the west and north. Housing values in the area are moderate and roughly aligned with state benchmarks, with rental costs also moderate. The median household income is above the national average. Goold Park is the civic anchor, featuring a public pool, ice rink, tennis and pickleball courts, and hosting community festivals. The school sits on a residential campus away from downtown rather than in the civic core.

Illinois assessment results changed their cut scores for proficiency this year, which can make year-to-year comparisons difficult. Test participation rates are very high across grades, suggesting the school conducts regular assessment with minimal opt-outs.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 348%

School 48% · District 48%

▲ 2 pts above state median

Grade 461%

School 61% · District 61%

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Grade 554%

School 54% · District 54%

▲ 25 pts above state median

Grade 642%

School 42% · District 42%

▲ 18 pts above state median

Grade 736%

School 36% · District 36%

▲ 7 pts above state median

Grade 851%

School 51% · District 51%

▲ 28 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 342%

School 42% · District 42%

▼ 2 pts below state median

Grade 456%

School 56% · District 56%

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 565%

School 65% · District 65%

▲ 12 pts above state median

Grade 670%

School 70% · District 70%

▲ 20 pts above state median

Grade 776%

School 76% · District 76%

▲ 25 pts above state median

Grade 892%

School 92% · District 92%

▲ 39 pts above state median

Science

Grade 547%

School 47% · District 47%

▲ 10 pts above state median

Grade 861%

School 61% · District 61%

▲ 22 pts above state median

This schoolSaratoga CCSD 60C, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.