Edward Bain School - Dual Language, Kenosha WI

Original Research by School Decision on Edward Bain School - Dual Language

Edward Bain School - Dual Language serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Kenosha, part of the Kenosha Unified School District. It is a regular public school with a bilingual instructional focus, as its name signals. The student body is small for an elementary school, and the vast majority of students identify as Hispanic, with smaller shares of White, Black, multiracial, and Asian students. More than half of families qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the school in a high-poverty context.

State testing data from the most recent school year shows mixed results across subjects and grade levels. In mathematics, roughly two in five students across grades three, four, and five scored at the proficient level or above. English language arts results are lower, especially in third grade, where fewer than one in five students reached proficiency; fourth and fifth grade results are closer to two in five. Science proficiency in grade four is below one in four, while social studies in grade four reaches about half of students. When compared to other districts in Kenosha County, the school’s overall proficiency index sits in the bottom quartile. Because the school only serves elementary grades, there is no graduation rate or chronic absenteeism data to examine.

The dual language program is the school’s defining academic feature. Families who enroll are choosing a curriculum that develops literacy in two languages. This is a deliberate pathway, and the school’s test results reflect the challenge of building proficiency in both languages simultaneously, particularly at the early grades. A parent considering this school should visit and ask how the dual language model is implemented, how the program supports English language development alongside Spanish or another partner language, and what progress the school has made over time. The data does not indicate whether the school has magnet, charter, or Title I status, so it is unclear whether there are additional funding or application requirements.

Kenosha itself is a mid-sized city on Lake Michigan with a manufacturing and corporate history. Headquarters of Snap-on and Jockey International are here, along with distribution centers for Amazon, Uline, and other companies. The downtown and lakefront have a restored electric streetcar, museums, parks, and a public beach. Kenosha is the last stop on Chicago’s Union Pacific North Metra line, making it a commuter option for families working in the metro area. Higher education is present through the University of Wisconsin–Parkside, Carthage College, and Gateway Technical College. The city has redeveloped its former industrial lakefront into HarborPark, and new developments continue, including a hydroponic farm and logistics expansion.

The Kenosha Unified School District is navigating declining enrollment. In 2023, the district voted to close Lincoln Middle School and five elementary schools as part of a rightsizing plan, redrawing attendance boundaries. Edward Bain School was not among those closed, but the broader district changes affect family choices and school assignments. The district’s enrollment has dropped noticeably in recent years, which drives budget constraints and consolidation. A family exploring Edward Bain should confirm current attendance boundaries and whether the school’s program is stable.

Housing values in Kenosha are moderate compared to the state median, and rents have been rising in line with national trends. The area is more affordable than the Milwaukee or Chicago metros, though the local economy and unemployment rate are consistent with national averages.

This school fits families who specifically want a dual language elementary program and are comfortable with a school where most students qualify for economic assistance and where academic proficiency, particularly in English language arts and science, is below county averages. The dual language pathway is the primary draw, and the school’s results should be interpreted in that context. A parent may want to ask about English learner support, class sizes, and how the school measures progress over multiple years, as the single year of state data does not show trends.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 336%

School 36% · District 46% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Grade 444%

School 44% · District 49% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 542%

School 42% · District 45% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 318%

School 18% · District 42% · ▼ 24 pts below district

▼ 35 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

Grade 440%

School 40% · District 47% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 532%

School 32% · District 45% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Science

Grade 422%

School 22% · District 41% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 449%

School 49% · District 57% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

This schoolKenosha School District, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income10%Higher-income33%23 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income30%Higher-income60%30 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income25%Higher-income46%21 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income41%Higher-income25%16 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income40%Higher-income53%13 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income36%Higher-income53%17 pp gap