Bernard J Ward Elem School, Bolingbrook IL

Original Research by School Decision on Bernard J Ward Elem School

Bernard J Ward Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Bolingbrook, an auto-oriented suburb about 30 miles southwest of Chicago. The school sits within Valley View CUSD 365U, a district that spans Bolingbrook and Romeoville and has built a track record of rising college and career readiness—the proportion of students meeting Illinois benchmarks has climbed substantially over the past several years through expanded AP and dual-credit pathways at the high school level. The district also carries a strong bond rating and has not required a new tax levy in years, translating to property-tax stability for residents.

Ward's enrollment is about 375 students, with a student body that is predominantly Hispanic, with substantial Black enrollment and smaller shares of Asian, white, and multiracial students. The school draws from a residential community where housing values are moderate by Chicago-area standards. The neighborhood itself is suburban and car-dependent; Bolingbrook has a Walk Score indicating minimal walkability, though the community maintains more than 20 miles of paved multi-use trails connecting parks and schools, and The Promenade serves as the village's de facto downtown shopping node.

State test results from the most recent year show mixed performance across grades and subjects. In English language arts, third and fourth graders scored below midpoint proficiency rates, while fifth grade performed notably better. Mathematics follows a similar pattern: third grade achieved around mid-range results, fourth grade dipped sharply lower, and fifth grade rebounded to solid performance. Science, tested only in fifth grade, shows a notably lower proficiency rate. Overall, the school's proficiency index sits below the midpoint when compared against other districts in Will County. A parent may want to look into whether specific interventions or supports are in place in fourth grade, where results dipped across both core subjects.

The data does not include free-or-reduced-price-lunch rates, special education enrollment, English learner counts, or discipline records, so a fuller picture of the student population and school climate would require direct conversation with the school. No attendance or chronic absenteeism data was available either. The school does not yet appear in a formal comparison dataset for elementary schools countywide, so contextualizing results against peer schools requires supplemental research.

Ward occupies its own campus on Recreation Drive in Bolingbrook and operates on the district's school calendar, which as of 2023-24 includes two early-release days per month and adjusted start times district-wide—a logistics change that affects childcare and work schedules for families. The school website was not provided in available materials; contacting the school directly would clarify program breadth, specialized instruction, and more recent performance trends not yet reflected in state data.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 341%

School 41% · District 52% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 429%

School 29% · District 41% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 555%

School 55% · District 39% · ▲ 16 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 340%

School 40% · District 51% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 445%

School 45% · District 54% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 567%

School 67% · District 62% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Science

Grade 520%

School 20% · District 32% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

This schoolValley View CUSD 365U, 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.