The top reported proficiency rate is 41% in Social studies. The lowest is 26% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Turtle Creek Elementary
Turtle Creek Elementary serves children from pre-kindergarten through second grade in Delavan, within the Delavan-Darien School District. Because it covers only the earliest grades, the school does not have a graduation rate, and the state test results that are available come from an older set of third- and fourth-grade data before the pandemic. Those results show that a bit under a third of students in both third and fourth grade scored proficient or above in English language arts, and a similar share did so in math. In science, just over a third of fourth graders met the proficiency bar, and in social studies, roughly two out of five fourth graders did. Compared with other schools across Walworth County, the overall proficiency picture places Turtle Creek in the bottom quartile, though that comparison is based on data that is now several years old. The school participated at very high rates in all those assessments, with nearly every student taking the tests. State testing data has not been reported for more recent years, so a parent who wants a current picture of academic performance at the school may want to ask the district directly about more recent results.
The student body draws from a community that is economically diverse but with a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The school’s enrollment runs toward a few hundred students. The largest racial or ethnic group is Hispanic students, who make up more than half the student body, followed by white students at about a third. Smaller numbers of students identify as two or more races, Black, Asian, or American Indian. Counts for students with disabilities and English learners were not available in the data provided.
The school runs on a regular public school model and is not a charter or magnet school. No Title I status was reported, though the high share of students from low-income households means the school likely qualifies for federal support. Nothing was available on discipline rates, staffing ratios, or course access, though for a school serving only pre-K through second grade, the curriculum is necessarily foundational.
Delavan itself is a town that blends a historic downtown with modern big-box retail. The brick-paved downtown streets hold antique shops, art galleries, and restaurants, while the east end has shopping plazas with national chains. Delavan Lake draws seasonal tourism for boating and fishing. The community has a notable circus heritage, having hosted the winter quarters of over two dozen circuses. The downtown has a walkable core with a public library, a park that hosts free summer concerts, and a set of historical murals installed within walking distance of each other. Residential neighborhoods surround downtown, but the east-end commercial areas are auto-oriented. There is no local public transit mentioned in available sources.
The Delavan-Darien School District offers a Dual Language bilingual program starting in 4K, which is an established curricular option for families who want their children to become bilingual. The district also operates DD Tech, a technical school for high school students that provides career pathway exploration and work-based learning opportunities. Both of these are ongoing programs, not recent changes. Search results did not turn up any recent referendums, property tax shifts, or other dated developments in the district.
Housing values in the area are roughly in line with the state average, and rents are affordable relative to typical household income. The local unemployment rate sits at the national average. For a family with a young child, Turtle Creek is an entry point into the district’s elementary program. Because the school covers only through second grade, students will move to another school in the district for third grade and beyond, which means a parent will want to understand the full feeder pattern. The available test results are old and sit below the county median, but they predate the pandemic and may not reflect current classroom reality. Given the early grade span, a parent may weigh the school’s fit more on the basis of its environment, staff, and programming than on standardized metrics that are both dated and limited.
See more original research from School Decision →