The top reported proficiency rate is 86% in English language arts. The lowest is 83% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Romona Elem School
Romona Elementary serves a small pre-kindergarten through fourth-grade enrollment in Wilmette, a quiet residential North Shore suburb about 14 to 17 miles north of Chicago along Lake Michigan. The school sits embedded in a neighborhood fabric of historic single-family homes and tree-lined blocks rather than on an isolated campus. Wilmette is a fully built-out, affluent suburb where the housing market has appreciated significantly, with residents drawn to strong schools, lakefront proximity, and family-oriented civic amenities including the Wilmette Park District, public library, Metra access to downtown, and a modest walkable downtown core anchored by the Village Center and Green Bay Road.
In mathematics, the two tested grades at Romona—third and fourth—show solid proficiency across the student body. About four in five students in each grade scored at proficient or above on Illinois' state assessment. Participation rates are high, suggesting the assessment reached most enrolled students. In English language arts, proficiency is somewhat higher in third grade and slightly lower in fourth. The school sits in the top quartile for overall proficiency across tested grades when compared with districts across Cook County, a position that reflects strong baseline performance. Because the school does not serve fifth grade and higher, state testing data for those grades is not available.
The enrollment is diverse in family background and race. About half the students are White, with substantial shares identifying as Asian, multiracial, or Hispanic. The composition reflects Wilmette's overall demographics as a prosperous North Shore community. The school's smallest grades are pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, with enrollment growing through the primary grades to peak in fourth grade. Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility data was not available in the school record; the absence likely reflects either an incomplete reporting field or the limited prevalence of economic need in this high-income suburb. Special education and English learner enrollment counts were also not reported.
The district is undergoing a significant curricular transition. For decades, Wilmette SD 39 offered only half-day kindergarten and required families to pay a fee for the optional KEEP39 enrichment program to access a full school day. This fee, reduced over time, became a household-budget decision point that some families weighed when choosing between Wilmette and neighboring districts offering free full-day kindergarten. Beginning in Fall 2025, the district is implementing full-day academic kindergarten for all students at no fee, eliminating the KEEP39 charge. For families with very young children considering Romona or comparing Wilmette to nearby towns, this change removes a significant cost barrier.
The school profile includes limited data on programming, staffing, attendance, or discipline. School websites and recent district communications were not available to supplement the dataset. A parent looking to understand Romona's daily learning environment, extracurricular offerings, or specific academic approaches may want to visit the school directly or contact the district office for detail on those dimensions.
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