Arnold W Kruse Ed Center, Orland Park IL

Original Research by School Decision on Arnold W Kruse Ed Center

Arnold W Kruse Education Center is a public elementary school in Orland Park serving early grades through fifth grade. The school enrolls a diverse student body, with the largest share identifying as White, followed by substantial Hispanic and biracial populations, and smaller numbers of Black and Asian students. The school spans grades from pre-K through fifth, making it an early-childhood and primary grades setting rather than a full K-12 pipeline.

The school's recent state testing shows mixed results across subjects and grades. In math, third-grade proficiency sits in the middle range, fourth-grade students perform somewhat stronger, and fifth-grade proficiency drops back to roughly third-grade levels. English language arts results follow a similar pattern, with fourth-grade performing as the school's strongest cohort and fifth grade and third grade closer to the middle. Science proficiency in fifth grade is notably lower than reading and math. Overall, the school's proficiency index places it above the midpoint for schools across Cook County, meaning its tested grades generally achieve at rates higher than the county median, though there is room for growth, particularly in science and in consistency across grade levels. Testing participation rates are high, with most grades at or near full participation.

The school's enrollment of around 460 students reflects a stable, moderate-sized population for an early-grades building. The grade distribution shows healthy enrollment from pre-K through the tested grades, with fifth grade and lower elementary grades comparably sized. Free or reduced-price lunch data was not available in the school's record, so a parent may want to look into the level of economic need the school serves directly with the school or district office.

Orland Park itself is a suburban village on Chicago's southwest edge, shaped by decades of single-family home construction and now undergoing intentional downtown development around its 143rd Street Metra station. Housing values in the area are moderate for the Cook County market, and rental availability is stable. The village has retail anchors, parkland, and growing transit-oriented development. Schools like Kruse feed into the broader CCSD 146 district, which serves parts of Orland Park, Tinley Park, and Oak Forest. The district has not undergone major recent referendum, curriculum overhaul, or tax levy shift that would substantially reshape the school environment in the near term.

Kruse's strength lies in its above-county-median proficiency performance and strong testing participation, indicating students are engaged in state assessments and the school is reaching the majority of its learners in reading and math. Parents should note that science performance lags behind reading and math, and fifth-grade outcomes in math and reading are less robust than fourth-grade results, which may signal either natural variation by cohort or an area where upper elementary instruction could be reinforced. The school's small-to-mid size and early-grade focus make it a neighborhood anchor for families with young children in the Orland Park area.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 358%

School 58% · District 58%

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 468%

School 68% · District 57% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 32 pts above state median · ▲ 40 pts above county median

Grade 559%

School 59% · District 45% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 37 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 362%

School 62% · District 57% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 469%

School 69% · District 61% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 29 pts above county median

Grade 567%

School 67% · District 66% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

Science

Grade 545%

School 45% · District 41% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

This schoolCCSD 146, 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.