The top reported proficiency rate is 46% in Math. The lowest is 40% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Edgar a Poe Elem School
Edgar A Poe Elementary serves grades Pre-K through 5 in Arlington Heights, a northwest Chicago suburb anchored by a transit-oriented downtown core and surrounded by single-family residential neighborhoods. The school sits on a residential campus rather than in the downtown walkable zone, as is typical for the district's elementary buildings.
The school serves about half the student body as White, with the remainder split among Asian, Hispanic, and other backgrounds. Data on free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility was not available, so a reader cannot see whether economic disadvantage shapes the population. The same gap applies to counts of students with individualized education plans and English learners, which would otherwise clarify whether the school serves concentrations of students with greater support needs. The enrollment is small for its grade band, with most grade cohorts holding between several dozen and mid-range counts.
On the state IAR assessments administered in 2024-25, the school's proficiency picture is mixed and calls for a closer look. Grade 3 math proficiency sits noticeably below Grade 4, which then dips again in Grade 5. In English language arts, Grade 3 shows the lowest proficiency of any tested grade; Grade 4 rebounds sharply; Grade 5 shows a decline from Grade 4 but remains above Grade 3. Grade 5 science proficiency is also below midline for the school's tested grades. The school sits below the midpoint among Cook County districts on a composite proficiency index. One structural note: beginning in Grade 6, this school has no state assessment results because Poe serves only through Grade 5; students move to the district's middle schools for those grade levels, so no Grade 6 and beyond data apply here.
It is worth asking the school directly whether the Grade 3 dips reflect a transition year for that cohort, whether there have been staffing or curriculum changes in recent years, or what support strategies are in place to lift proficiency in the lower-performing grades. Participation in state testing was consistently high, showing the school tested most eligible students.
Arlington Heights itself is experiencing active redevelopment. The downtown has seen infill construction of mixed-use buildings with condos, apartments, and restaurants clustered near the Metra station, and a major mixed-use district is scheduled for completion in 2026. The former Arlington Park racetrack site, purchased by the Chicago Bears in 2023, sits on hold due to the team's stated interest in developing a stadium in Indiana instead, leaving that project's timing uncertain. For families considering the area, housing values in the 60004 zip code are stable and modestly appreciating year-over-year, with rental inventory active. The affordability picture shows the median home price and median monthly rent are both in the range typical for established Chicago suburbs.
The district itself is in a consequential transition. In spring 2026, Wheeling CCSD 21 launched a community-led committee to redraw school attendance boundaries for the first time in roughly two decades. The east side of the district, where this school sits, has grown denser and is pushing some elementary buildings toward over-capacity while west-side schools hold unfilled seats. Any approved boundary change would not take effect until 2027-28 at the earliest, but families moving in now should be aware that neighborhood assignment could shift. The district has also undertaken major facility improvements funded by a recent bond referendum, with more than a substantial amount in construction projects completed or underway in summer 2025, adding full-day kindergarten space, securing entrances, and extending air conditioning throughout the district.
Parents considering Poe should visit the school, examine the recent assessment results with staff to understand context and instructional response, and confirm with the district whether this building's boundary is likely to change under the new map design.
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