The top reported proficiency rate is 19% in English language arts. The lowest is 9% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Elmwood Elem School
Elmwood Elem School serves grades 3 through 5 in Zion, an older, modestly priced residential city in northern Lake County between Chicago and Milwaukee. The school sits within Zion Elementary School District 6, a smaller district that has recently received a property tax relief grant from Illinois, meaning families buying homes in the area benefit from reduced property taxes paired with additional state funding to the district.
The school enrolls a small student body. Its enrollment is split fairly evenly across the three grades it serves. The student body is predominantly Hispanic and Black, with smaller populations of White students and students identifying as two or more races. Data on the percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch was not available, nor was information on students with individualized education plans or English learners.
Academic performance at Elmwood is below the median for districts across Lake County. In math, proficiency rates on the Illinois Assessment of Readiness range from very low in grade 5 to modest in grade 4, with grade 3 showing slightly better results. In English language arts, rates are similarly low to modest across the three grades, with grade 5 performing somewhat higher than grades 3 and 4. In science, only grade 5 has reported results, and the proficiency rate there is quite low. Overall, the school's proficiency index across tested subjects and grades falls into the bottom quartile among Lake County districts. These are weak results, and a parent may want to look into further detail with the school about instructional approaches, what supports are available for students below grade level, and what plans exist to strengthen performance.
State assessment data for grades 6, 7, and 8 do not appear in the results, which is expected since the school does not serve those grades.
Zion itself is a primarily residential community with a quiet, modest character. The population is young and diverse, with a Hispanic plurality and large Black and White populations. The city's median age hovers in the low thirties. Housing values have grown modestly in recent years; median monthly rent in the area is around typical levels for the region. The local housing stock is older, with a significant share of units built more than half a century ago. Population growth has been flat to slightly negative in recent years. Transportation to Chicago is available via Metra's Union Pacific North Line, which runs from a station about a mile south of downtown Zion.
The downtown core clusters around Sheridan Road with parks, shopping, and a small set of civic amenities including the Zion-Benton Public Library. Most daily errands require a car. The larger employer base includes the City of Hope cancer hospital on Elisha Avenue, along with manufacturing and retail. Shiloh Park, a central anchor at 25th and Emmaus, hosts picnic areas, courts, diamonds, a playground, and a bandshell for summer concerts. Illinois Beach State Park sits nearby on Lake Michigan.
Elmwood serves as a neighborhood elementary school within a district context of modest resource constraints and community change. For families considering a move, the appeal lies in the property-tax relief the district has secured and the city's quiet, affordable character. The trade-off is low academic performance at the school level compared to other options in the county, which warrants direct conversation with school leadership about curriculum, staffing, interventions, and the outlook for improvement before enrolling.
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