The top reported proficiency rate is 88% in English language arts. The lowest is 87% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Greeley Elem School
Greeley Elementary School is a small, neighborhood primary school serving kindergarten through fourth grade in Winnetka, an affluent residential village about a short drive north of Chicago. The school enrolls a modest number of students, with the largest cohorts in kindergarten and fourth grade and smaller numbers in the upper elementary years. The student body is predominantly white, with smaller shares of Asian and Hispanic students and very few Black students and no Native American students; free-or-reduced-price lunch data was not available.
On state mathematics assessments in the most recent year, third graders showed strong proficiency, while fourth-grade math proficiency was meaningfully lower. Third-grade English language arts proficiency was very high, and fourth-grade ELA matched the mathematics rate from that same grade. The school does not serve fifth grade and above, so no testing data exists for those grades. Overall, the pattern shows solid to high performance in third grade with a decline to somewhat lower, though still respectable, results in fourth grade. Testing participation was very high in both grades. State cut scores changed between the prior year and the current assessment, so year-over-year trend comparison is not reliable. The school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among districts across Cook County.
Winnetka itself is a low-density, tree-lined residential community with walkable commercial nodes centered on Elm Street near the Metra station and around Hubbard Woods. Three Metra Union Pacific North Line stations serve the village, and the Green Bay Trail provides a biking and walking route. Civic anchors include the Winnetka Park District, which operates beaches, golf courses, tennis facilities, and ice arenas, and the Winnetka-Northfield Public Library. Housing values in the area are high, and the median rent is substantial; homeownership typically requires a six-figure household income. Growth is constrained by zoning that preserves the village's historic single-family character, though the One Winnetka mixed-use development near downtown represents a significant recent infill project that received final approval in early 2025 after over a decade of local deliberation.
The district, Winnetka School District 36, underwent a major capital improvement cycle following voter approval of a bond referendum in November 2022 that narrowly passed after a larger ask had failed a few years prior. That investment has funded HVAC replacements, secure entryways, ADA upgrades, and new facilities including a gymnasium and cafeteria at Crow Island School and a cafeteria at Hubbard Woods, reshaping both the physical environment families use and property tax bills going forward.
Greeley serves a prosperous, education-focused community where families typically have strong economic resources and high expectations for academic performance. The test results show that third graders generally meet those expectations, though fourth graders warrant closer attention. A parent may want to look into the fourth-grade transition and support systems with the school directly to understand whether the decline reflects a typical developmental moment or an area where individualized support matters.
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