Original Research by School Decision on District 45 Early Education Ctr
District 45 Early Education Center serves prekindergarten students in Villa Park, a residential DuPage County suburb bordering Elmhurst, Lombard, Addison, and Oakbrook Terrace. The center enrolls a small but diverse group of children: about half are Hispanic, with substantial shares of white and Asian students, and smaller numbers of Black and multiracial students. The center is located on Jackson Street in the village's older core, near the historic downtown and Metra station.
The school sits within a district that has undergone significant change in recent years. In 2020, voters approved a major bond referendum that established full-day kindergarten across District 45 and funded construction of this new Early Childhood Center, consolidating all early-childhood programs into one building. This represented a shift from the district's earlier half-day-only kindergarten model. The district also used the bond proceeds to modernize learning environments, upgrade technology, and strengthen STEM curriculum.
However, the district currently faces fiscal strain. In March 2026, voters rejected a referendum that would have raised the tax rate to address a projected budget deficit. Without that revenue, District 45 is publicly discussing reductions including potential layoffs of certified staff, larger class sizes, reduced programming, and cuts to extracurriculars. The district has flagged the possibility of redistricting and school closures beginning in the 2027-28 school year. For parents with young children, these discussions around potential staffing and program changes are worth monitoring closely with the district directly.
On the academic side, District 45 reports that over the past several years it has overhauled its curriculum, modernized classrooms, and expanded social-emotional supports. The district states that student reading proficiency has more than doubled in this span and that its students rank first in math and tied for first in science among comparable DuPage County districts on state proficiency measures. These gains reflect deliberate effort to strengthen instruction and learning conditions.
Villa Park itself is a garden-focused community in an active redevelopment phase. The village economy relies on retail, light manufacturing, construction, and professional services. Housing values in the area remain moderate relative to surrounding suburbs, with the market showing steady activity. A new mixed-use development with apartments and commercial space began construction near the downtown and Metra station in early 2026, part of the village's broader effort to attract families and revitalize its center. The Early Childhood Center benefits from proximity to this revitalizing core, trails for outdoor recreation, and access to Metra transit.
The center's enrollment data do not include counts for special education or English learners, which is typical for this grade level and setting. State testing data do not apply to prekindergarten. Parents considering this program should ask the school directly about class sizes, teacher-to-child ratios, curriculum content, and any known impacts from the district's budget situation on staffing and programming for the early grades.
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