Original Research by School Decision on Stevenson School
Stevenson School is a small elementary school in Lombard serving kindergarten through second grade, with an enrollment of about three grades' worth of students. The student body is racially and ethnically diverse, with roughly equal shares of Hispanic and Asian students, a meaningful Black enrollment, and smaller numbers of white and multiracial students. The school carries no Title I designation, suggesting its student population does not meet the federal poverty threshold for that funding category.
Lombard is a residential suburb about a short drive west of Chicago, best known for its parks, historic downtown centered on the Lilac Village identity, and the Yorktown retail and hospitality corridor. The village is experiencing infill residential growth and mixed-use redevelopment, particularly at Yorktown; housing values in the area are above the national benchmark, and the local market shows moderate supply and demand. Commuter rail service via the Metra Union Pacific West line and proximity to established neighborhoods make the village attractive to families working in or around Chicago.
Stevenson is part of School District 45, which serves Lombard, Villa Park, Oakbrook Terrace, and Elmhurst. The district has undergone significant curricular and academic investment over the past several years, reporting that reading scores more than doubled during that span and that students rank first in mathematics and tied for first in science among DuPage County peer districts on state proficiency assessments. This is a real academic strength worth noting.
The district also passed a substantial bond referendum in 2020 that established full-day kindergarten across all schools, replacing the previous half-day model. This remains active and directly affects any family entering kindergarten in the district. A new Early Childhood Center was built to consolidate early-childhood programming, and the referendum also funded technology upgrades, safety enhancements, and STEM curriculum improvements.
However, the district faces near-term financial pressure. Voters rejected a limiting rate tax increase referendum in March 2026, and the district now projects a sizable deficit for the 2026-27 school year. Board discussions have included potential reductions: roughly 30 to 40 certified staff cuts, larger class sizes, reduced programming, extracurricular cuts, and possible redistricting and school closures beginning in 2027-28. A parent considering Stevenson or any school in this district would benefit from asking the school directly how these anticipated changes might affect classroom staffing, program breadth, and class composition over the next year or two.
State testing data for Stevenson itself was not available, as the school serves only kindergarten through second grade and Illinois does not administer statewide assessments at those levels. The school has no graduation rate, as it does not serve high school grades. Free-or-reduced-price-lunch data and special-education enrollment counts were not provided, limiting a fuller economic profile.
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