North Elem School, Waukegan IL - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on North Elem School

North Elem School is a prekindergarten-through-fifth-grade elementary school in Waukegan serving about 470 students. The school's student body is predominantly Hispanic, with smaller populations of Black, white, and multiracial students. Free-and-reduced-price-lunch data was not available, so a clear picture of the school's economic composition requires a conversation with the school itself.

Academic performance on the most recent state assessments shows a serious pattern. In mathematics, third-grade proficiency stands in the low range, fourth-grade is markedly lower, and fifth-grade is extremely low. English language arts proficiency is similarly weak across all tested grades, with third grade at the lowest point. Fifth-grade science proficiency is also very low. All students participated fully in testing. These results place the school at the bottom quartile of overall proficiency compared to other districts in Lake County, meaning proficiency here is substantially below the county midpoint. A parent may want to look into this further with the school: what instructional changes or interventions are in place, and what academic supports exist for students who are not meeting grade-level benchmarks.

North Elem is a regular public elementary school without special designations such as charter or magnet status. Its grades and location situate it within Waukegan Community Unit School District 60, a district that has been actively working on teacher recruitment and staffing, recently authorizing expanded recruitment efforts in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and at historically Black colleges and universities to fill vacancies in bilingual and specialized instruction roles. That effort reflects ongoing staffing pressures that families should be aware of as part of the broader district context.

Waukegan itself is a mid-sized industrial port city on Lake Michigan north of Chicago, with a walkable downtown anchored by galleries, the Genesee Theatre, and the lakefront. The city has been pursuing lakefront and downtown revitalization for more than a decade. Housing values in the area are moderate relative to national benchmarks, and rental costs reflect a similar affordability profile. The broader economic base centers on manufacturing, healthcare, retail, and transportation, with major employers including Abbott Laboratories, AbbVie, and Naval Station Great Lakes.

The school's enrollment is stable, with roughly equal grade distributions across prekindergarten through fifth grade. Testing data was not reported for sixth and seventh grades, which aligns with the school's declared grade configuration ending at fifth grade. No graduation rate applies, as this is an elementary school.

For families seeking to understand North Elem's fit, the key takeaway is a school community that serves a predominantly Spanish-speaking, economically modest student population, with state assessment results well below county average across core subjects. This reflects the real academic challenge the school and its families are managing. How the school addresses that gap, what support systems it offers, and whether classroom instruction aligns with student needs are essential conversations for any parent considering enrollment.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 319%

School 19% · District 31% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 37 pts below county median

Grade 412%

School 12% · District 24% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 38 pts below county median

Grade 55%

School 5% · District 19% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 34 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 37%

School 7% · District 27% · ▼ 20 pts below district

▼ 37 pts below state median · ▼ 48 pts below county median

Grade 413%

School 13% · District 24% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 35 pts below state median · ▼ 43 pts below county median

Grade 515%

School 15% · District 32% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 37 pts below state median · ▼ 50 pts below county median

Science

Grade 58%

School 8% · District 19% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▼ 40 pts below county median

This schoolWaukegan CUSD 60, 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.