The top reported proficiency rate is 58% in English language arts. The lowest is 42% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Irene King Elem School
Irene King Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Romeoville, a Chicago-area village whose identity has shifted from the historic stone-quarrying economy to a mixed suburban-industrial landscape. The school enrollment is distributed across its grade levels, with the student population heavily Hispanic and diverse in other ways. Free-or-reduced-lunch data was not available, and the counts for English learners and students with IEPs were also not reported.
In the most recent state testing, Irene King's performance across mathematics and English language arts shows a patchwork: third graders performed at roughly the middle of the proficiency range in math, while fourth graders were substantially below that threshold in the same subject. Fifth-grade results improved, reaching the middle range in both math and English language arts, with fifth-grade ELA showing stronger proficiency. Science testing is available only for fifth grade, where proficiency falls below half. The school's overall proficiency index places it below the midpoint among the school districts in Will County, the broader set against which the state compares this school.
Those results carry a caveat: Illinois changed its state assessment cut scores in the same testing window reported here, which means strict year-to-year comparison is not reliable, and the school's actual performance trajectory cannot be read from a single year. A parent may want to ask the school directly about performance trends before and after that assessment shift, as well as what steps the school is taking to address the softer spots, particularly in fourth-grade math and fifth-grade science.
The school sits within Valley View CUSD 365U, a district that has made credible moves on college readiness pathways. The district tripled the share of students meeting Illinois College and Career Readiness benchmarks over the past several years by expanding AP and dual-credit course offerings. The district also received a bond-rating upgrade from Moody's and has not asked taxpayers for an additional levy since a prior year, both signals of financial stability that reduce long-term property-tax pressure. In the 2023-24 school year, Valley View shifted student and staff start times and introduced two early-release days per month, changes that families with childcare or work constraints need to account for.
Romeoville itself is an actively growing suburb, mixing newer residential subdivisions with industrial parks and distribution facilities. Housing values have risen modestly, and the rental market shows steady year-over-year growth. The community sits on the Heritage Corridor Metra line, which opened a station in Romeoville in 2024 offering weekday service to Chicago. The everyday character is car-oriented and spread out rather than walkable, typical of postwar subdivisions interspersed with commercial corridors along major roads. Recreation anchors include nature preserves, trails, and parks along the Des Plaines River, and Lewis University is a significant civic and employment presence.
For families considering Irene King, the school offers a traditional elementary pathway in a stable, growing district with increasing emphasis on college and career readiness at the high school level. The area itself provides suburban housing affordability relative to closer-in Chicago communities, though families should understand that elementary performance here is currently middling on state measures and concentrated attention on the lower grades is warranted.
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