The top reported proficiency rate is 34% in English language arts. The lowest is 12% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Enos Elem School
Enos Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Springfield, a mid-sized city and state capital. The school enrolls a small population across its grade band, with substantial racial diversity: a substantial share of students are Black, a modest share are white, another modest share identify as multiracial, and very few are Hispanic or Asian.
Test results from the most recent state assessments reveal significant challenges. In English language arts, the school's proficiency rate in fourth grade reached roughly midway through the tested population, while third and fifth grade results were notably lower, under one-third proficient in each grade. Math results are more concerning. Third-grade proficiency was in the low teens, fourth-grade proficiency in the low twenties, and fifth-grade proficiency in the single digits, with only one student meeting the bar. Fifth-grade science proficiency was also very low, in the low teens. These numbers place the school in the bottom quartile among the county's school districts when looking across all tested subjects and grades combined.
Illinois revised its proficiency standards in the 2024-2025 school year, so year-to-year comparisons are not safe to draw from earlier years. Readers looking for longer-term trend data or details on which specific student groups are struggling most will not find that here; the data available shows only this year's overall results by grade.
The school is part of Springfield School District 186, which is navigating significant headwinds. The district adopted a new elementary literacy curriculum, Benchmark Advance, focused on phonics and the science of reading for the 2024-2025 school year. At the same time, it is working through a multiyear deficit-reduction plan tied to declining federal COVID relief funds and flat state education funding. That plan includes reducing elementary literacy coaches, right-sizing staffing through attrition, and leaves potential school closures on the table. Families should expect larger classes and fewer support staff going forward. The district is also exploring a new elementary school on the south side of Springfield, which could shift attendance boundaries if it moves ahead.
At Enos specifically, this means the school has received new curriculum resources and guidance on how to teach reading, but faces fiscal pressure and staffing constraints that could affect how much coaching and intervention support is available to struggling readers and math students. A parent may want to look into this further with the school directly, including asking about literacy coach coverage, intervention programs, and any structural changes planned for the 2026-2027 school year and beyond.
Housing in the Springfield zip code where Enos is located is affordable by national standards, with values well below both state and national benchmarks. Rents are also modest. The local economy is anchored by state government, healthcare systems, and higher education, with major employers including Hospital Sisters Health System, Memorial Medical Center, SIU School of Medicine, the University of Illinois Springfield, and various education-serving businesses. Downtown Springfield and the medical district are the civic hubs, with genuine walkability concentrated in the historic Old State Capitol neighborhood and more limited street life elsewhere in the city.
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