The top reported proficiency rate is 70% in English language arts. The lowest is 48% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on John Laidlaw Elem School
John Laidlaw Elementary is a small public school in Western Springs, Illinois, serving kindergarten through fifth grade in a residential village about eighteen miles southwest of Chicago. The school sits within the village proper, woven into a tree-lined neighborhood rather than set apart on a sprawling campus, and draws from a community of families who have chosen Western Springs for its small-town character and strong schools.
The enrollment is modest and quite homogeneous. The student body is predominantly white, with small representations of Hispanic, multiracial, and Asian students; Black and Native American students make up less than one percent each. Data on students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch and English learners were not available, making it difficult to assess economic or linguistic diversity. The school appears to serve primarily affluent families in a neighborhood where home values are substantial and rising year over year.
On the most recent state math and English language arts assessments, proficiency results show variation by grade that suggests some uneven performance. In third grade, math proficiency stands at a solid level and ELA proficiency is moderate. Fourth grade shows notably lower math results, nearly twenty percentage points below third grade. Fifth grade recovers somewhat in math but shows particularly strong results in reading. In science, where only fifth grade was tested, results were below the midpoint. The school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile relative to other schools in Cook County, a meaningful strength, though the data carries an important caveat: Illinois changed proficiency cut scores on its most recent assessment cycle, making direct year-to-year comparison unsafe. A parent may want to look into what these changes mean for understanding longer-term trends at the school and how the district assesses growth.
Attendance rates appear strong based on the assessment participation figures, but data on chronic absenteeism, graduation rates, and staff-to-student ratios were not provided and do not apply to this elementary-grade school. Program offerings beyond core academics, enrichment options, and before- or after-school services were not documented in the available information.
Western Springs School District 101, the parent district, faced a significant funding pressure in 2023 when it placed its first property tax referendum on the ballot in roughly a decade, seeking to close an operating deficit and shore up reserves. The referendum directly affected resident property tax bills. The district subsequently raised its levy, signaling that higher baseline revenue is now funding district operations. For families considering a move into this school's attendance area, this fiscal trajectory is relevant context alongside the school's academic profile.
The village itself is built-out, with growth concentrated in a large subdivision being developed on a former golf course and in small transit-oriented infill projects downtown. The community has a functioning downtown with local shops and restaurants, is served by frequent commuter rail, and maintains a network of parks and a public library. Housing is notably expensive and appreciated steadily; most residents commute elsewhere for work.
John Laidlaw serves a specific demographic: families drawn to Western Springs' established residential character and willing to support higher local property taxes in exchange for a small-school setting in a financially stable village. The school's proficiency results suggest competent instruction overall, though the fourth-grade dip in math warrants inquiry about the school's support strategies at that grade level.
See more original research from School Decision →