The top reported proficiency rate is 60% in Science. The lowest is 51% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Henry W Longfellow Elem School
Henry W. Longfellow Elementary School is a regular public elementary school serving prekindergarten through fifth grade in Buffalo Grove, a quiet suburban village straddling Cook and Lake counties northwest of Chicago. The school sits within Wheeling Community Consolidated School District 21 and draws from a diverse, established residential community with mature post-World War II subdivisions and ongoing redevelopment.
The school enrolls a small to moderate number of students across its grade band, with roughly even class sizes from kindergarten through fifth grade. The student body is predominantly white, with a meaningful Asian presence and smaller Hispanic, multiracial, and other populations represented. Free and reduced lunch eligibility data was not available, so a parent would want to ask the school directly about the socioeconomic profile of its families.
Academic performance shows modest proficiency on recent state assessments. In mathematics, third grade proficiency sits in the mid-to-upper range, with fourth and fifth grades slightly lower. English language arts proficiency is notably lower than math across all tested grades, particularly in third grade where it falls substantially. Science proficiency in fifth grade is comparable to math. These figures reflect a school where roughly half to slightly more than half of students test at proficiency on state measures, a pattern that a parent may want to explore further with the school to understand what supports exist for students not yet meeting standards and what approaches the school uses to advance proficiency. Testing participation is high across all grades, indicating reliable data. The school's overall proficiency index places it above the midpoint among Cook County districts, suggesting it is performing in the stronger half of its comparison group.
State assessment results cover only grades three through five, the only elementary grades tested in Illinois. No data are available for the prekindergarten and early elementary grades the school serves.
Buffalo Grove itself is an auto-oriented suburban community with parks, corporate business parks, and retail strips along McHenry Road. The area is in the midst of significant redevelopment, particularly the Clove, a mixed-use project replacing the former Town Center with luxury apartments, retail anchors including Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods, and a public park. Bison Crossing and Link Crossing are adding residential units and family housing in the area as well. Population growth has been stagnant for more than two decades, but these projects signal active reinvestment and changing character. The community is served by two Metra stations and Pace bus routes, making commuting to central Chicago feasible.
Housing values in the 60089 zip code are moderate to solid for the Chicago area, and the affordability picture shows modest pressure relative to national benchmarks. Rental costs have risen in recent years.
The district itself is managing significant facility work, with a major summer 2025 round of construction and improvements funded by a recent bond referendum that has delivered district-wide air conditioning, secured entrances, and full-day kindergarten space. More immediately relevant to parents is an active boundary redistricting process launched in 2026, the first in roughly two decades. The district is experiencing overcrowding at three schools on the east side, including Cooper and London middle schools, while west-side schools have available capacity. Any new attendance boundaries could take effect no earlier than the 2027-28 school year, making this a matter to monitor if enrollment or school assignments are concerns for your family.
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