The top reported proficiency rate is 80% in Math. The lowest is 78% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Harper Elem School
Harper Elementary is a small public school serving kindergarten through grade 4 in Wilmette, a quiet, mature North Shore suburb along Lake Michigan about 15 miles north of Chicago. The school sits at 1101 Dartmouth Street within the residential fabric of its neighborhood, part of Wilmette School District 39.
The school's math proficiency on the latest state assessment shows strength in the lower grades, with a majority of third graders performing at or above the state's proficiency threshold and a solid share of fourth graders meeting that standard as well. English language arts proficiency in grade 3 sits a bit lower than math, while fourth grade ELA performance tracks closer to the school's math results. Testing data was not available for fifth grade and above; this reflects the grade band Harper serves, which ends at grade 4, so upper elementary grades are not assessed at this school.
The proficiency index that sums Harper's reported results across tested subjects and grades places it in the top quartile when compared against other districts in Cook County, suggesting consistent academic performance across its small grade span. The school's test participation rate ran very high, with over most students assessed in both subjects across the tested grades. One technical note: Illinois adjusted its proficiency cut scores for 2024-25, so year-to-year trend comparisons are not yet possible.
The enrollment is small for an elementary school, under four hundred students, distributed fairly evenly across the grades, with kindergarten and grade 3 being the largest cohorts. The student body is predominantly white, with a smaller share of students identifying as multiracial, Asian, or Hispanic; data on free- or reduced-price lunch eligibility and on students with identified special needs or English learners was not available. The demographic composition reflects the broader Wilmette community.
Wilmette itself is a bedroom community of affluent families, with housing values substantially above both the Illinois and national benchmarks. The median home price is high, and median rents are also steep. The market for homes in the area remains relatively active but moderately competitive compared with peaks seen earlier in 2025. Schools here do not serve populations with acute economic hardship as a defining feature.
District 39 is in the midst of a significant curriculum shift. The district has long offered half-day kindergarten to all children, with an optional fee-based enrichment program called KEEP39 filling the other half of the school day. Beginning in Fall 2025, the district is transitioning to a free, full-day academic kindergarten for all students. For families with young children, this is a major change: it removes a childcare logistics barrier that has existed for years and eliminates an out-of-pocket kindergarten fee that had become a point of comparison with neighboring districts' free full-day programs. For current families at Harper with older children, the shift does not apply, but it signals the district's commitment to expanding access.
Harper is a neighborhood elementary school where state test results show students learning at a solid pace in math and reading, where the peer group is largely from white, college-educated, affluent households, and where the immediate context is one of suburban residential stability. The school serves families for whom proximity to home, neighborhood identity, and strong foundational academics are the primary draw. Parents may want to reach out to the school directly to ask about class size, special program offerings, and the day-to-day classroom experience, since those details are not captured in state testing and enrollment data alone.
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