The top reported proficiency rate is 70% in English language arts. The lowest is 33% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Mary Endres Elementary School
Mary Endres Elementary is a regular public school serving grades 1 through 5 in Woodstock, a historic county-seat exurb about 40 miles north of Chicago. The school enrolls roughly 400 students, with a student body that is roughly evenly split between white and Hispanic students, and smaller shares of Black and Asian students. Free-or-reduced-price lunch data was not available, limiting a full picture of economic need at the school.
On state testing, Mary Endres shows uneven performance across subjects and grades. In English language arts, the school performs stronger in upper grades, with proficiency rates in the mid-range for grade 3, rising meaningfully by grade 4, and reaching solid proficiency by grade 5. Math proficiency is consistently lower across all tested grades, clustering in the low range at grades 3, 4, and 5. In science, where only grade 5 was tested, proficiency sits in the low range. Overall, the school's proficiency index places it above the midpoint among districts in McHenry County, but a parent should understand that the foundation is mixed: reading is a relative strength, particularly in the upper elementary grades, while math attainment lags and suggests a need for targeted intervention. The school does not serve grades 6 or higher, so there are no graduation rates or high school pathway data to report.
Woodstock itself is anchored by a walkable, event-rich downtown Square with the historic courthouse, Opera House, library, and Metra commuter rail station. Beyond downtown, the city is car-dependent, with commercial strips along Routes 47 and 14 and a manufacturing and healthcare base that includes the Claussen Pickles plant and Northwestern Medicine Woodstock Hospital. The area is entering a growth phase after roughly a decade of limited residential development. Two major projects are underway: Lennar's Riverwoods subdivision on the southeast side, bringing several hundred single-family homes and duplexes, and a downtown multifamily "Die Cast" redevelopment under review with Murphy Development Group. Housing values in the Woodstock zip code are moderate relative to the region and state, with typical home prices in the mid-300s. Rental costs are modest, and affordability for families is reasonable.
The parent district, Woodstock CUSD 200, made a meaningful tax policy decision for the 2025 cycle: it reduced its property tax levy and did not raise taxes, enabled by using reserves to pay down significant debt over the prior two years. For families weighing a move to the area, this signals district fiscal discipline and provides a rare moment of tax relief in a county known for high property taxes. The district also launched district-wide Micro-Internship and Internship programs in fall 2025, creating work-based learning pathways for high school students to bridge academics and careers. These are lasting structural changes that matter for families thinking about college and career readiness.
Mary Endres fits families seeking an elementary school in a small town with civic charm and preserved walkability, where growth and new housing are actively arriving, and where the school district is managing finances responsibly. The school's reading instruction shows promise in upper grades, but parents should be attentive to math support and may want to discuss with the school what interventions are in place to close that gap. The combination of modest housing costs, tax relief, and incoming development makes this a reasonable consideration for families relocating or timing entry into the Woodstock area.
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