The top reported proficiency rate is 32% in English language arts. The lowest is 20% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Laketown Elem School
Laketown Elementary is a small school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Springfield, located on Lee Street on the city's east side. The enrollment is modest, with roughly a hundred and twenty students across all six grade levels, and the student body is racially mixed: a substantial share are Black students, with meaningful populations of white and multiracial students as well, and a small Asian and Hispanic presence. Data on free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility was not available, so a reader seeking to understand the school's economic profile may want to inquire with the school directly.
The state testing data for Laketown shows academic results that are notably low across math and English language arts. In grade three math and ELA, proficiency rates sit around one half and one third, respectively. The picture grows darker at grade four, where math proficiency drops substantially and ELA proficiency is much lower. Grade five shows some recovery in ELA but remains quite weak in math and falls further still in science. These are patterns a parent should take seriously. Students participate fully in state assessments, so the low rates reflect actual performance rather than testing gaps. The comparison to other districts in Sangamon County places Laketown well below the median, positioning it in the bottom quartile of elementary schools by overall proficiency across all tested grades and subjects.
It is worth noting that Illinois changed its assessment cut scores beginning in the 2024-25 school year, so prior-year comparisons are not directly available. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand whether there has been decline, stability, or prior performance under the older benchmark.
Laketown sits within Springfield School District 186, which serves the city and surrounding areas and faces significant headwinds. The district has adopted Benchmark Advance, a phonics-and-science-of-reading elementary literacy program, for this school year—a shift that will touch every primary student's reading instruction and reflects the district's response to concerns about phonics coverage. At the same time, the district is managing a multi-year operating deficit and has announced staffing reductions, including a cut to the number of elementary literacy coaches district-wide. Larger classes and fewer support staff are likely to follow. The district is also exploring a new South Side elementary school, which could eventually reshape attendance boundaries across the city.
Springfield itself is the state capital and combines government employment, healthcare anchored by two hospital systems, and residential neighborhoods spread across several commercial districts. Downtown is genuinely walkable and home to Lincoln-related historic sites, museums, and state offices; most other parts of the city require a car for daily errands. Housing values are moderate relative to national benchmarks, and rental costs have been rising. The job market remains steady with unemployment at historical norms. Public transit exists but is limited.
A family considering Laketown should enter knowing that current proficiency levels are low and that the school operates within a district managing budget constraints that will affect staffing and class sizes. The school's racial diversity is a real characteristic; whether that fits a family's values and comfort depends on individual preference. The phonics curriculum adoption is a district-level strength and may benefit early readers, though the coaching cuts create some tension. A parent should also be clear-eyed about what Laketown's test data shows and think carefully about what academic support and home involvement may be needed. Visiting the school, talking with current families, and understanding the school's specific supports for struggling readers would be sensible next steps.
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