Is Washington Elementary School a good school?

Washington Elementary School ranks 838 th of 2067 Illinois elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Washington Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 340 students attended Washington Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Washington Elementary School?

Students at Washington Elementary School are 59% White, 33% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Washington Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Washington Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Challand Middle School High : Sterling High School

Washington Elementary School

Summary:

Washington Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Sterling, Illinois, serving grades 3-5 with a total enrollment of 340 students. The school is part of the Sterling CUSD 5 district, which is ranked 509 out of 813 districts in Illinois and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Over the past 10 years, Washington Elementary School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Illinois elementary schools, with a ranking between 838 and 1282 out of around 2,000 schools. Its SchoolDigger rating has also been mostly 2 stars out of 5, with a few years at 3 stars. The school performs better for some student subgroups compared to others, with Hispanic students and English Language Learners ranking in the top 30-40% of Illinois elementary schools, while White students and students with disabilities rank in the bottom 30-40%. Washington Elementary has also seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, from 2.2% in 2019-2020 to 8.6% in 2022-2023. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts (35.9%) and Mathematics (29%) are below the state averages of 41.2% and 28.4%, respectively, with particularly low performance in 5th grade Math at 24.1% proficient.

While Washington Elementary's performance is generally on par with or slightly below other elementary schools in the Sterling CUSD 5 district, it lags behind the higher-performing Chadwick-Milledgeville Elementary and Montmorency CCSD #145 schools in neighboring districts. Despite the higher per-student spending at Washington Elementary, the school's academic outcomes remain below state averages, suggesting that simply increasing funding may not be the sole solution to improving performance. Addressing the root causes of these issues, such as attendance, instructional quality, and support for struggling student populations, will be crucial for Washington Elementary to improve its performance and provide a high-quality education for all its students.

Detail:

Public 3-5

815 W Le Fevre Rd
Sterling, IL 61081-1000

(815) 625-2372

District: Sterling CUSD 5

SchoolDigger Rank:
838^th of 2,067 Illinois Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,151

Students who attend Washington Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Challand Middle School
High:	Sterling High School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.9

Number of students: 340

Racial breakdown:

White:

59.4%

Hispanic:

33.2%

Two or more races:

5.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 51.5%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare Washington Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Washington Elementary School ranks better than 59.5% of elementary schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 54.1. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a high school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Washington Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Sterling CUSD 5 School District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Washington Elementary School is $14,151, which is the lowest among 4 elementary schools in the Sterling CUSD 5 School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Washington Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Washington Elementary School 838^th of 2067 Illinois public elementary schools. (See Washington Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Sterling CUSD 5:

SchoolDigger ranks Sterling CUSD 5 509^th of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Washington Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Washington Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	40.08	1384^th	2020	31.5%
2004	57.15	1075^th	2030	47.0%
2005	69.37	690^th	2022	65.9%
2006	64.17	921^st	2086	55.8%
2007	67.31	804^th	2095	61.6%
2008	66.14	858^th	2092	59.0%
2009	64.31	926^th	2120	56.3%
2010	61.79	1006^th	2139	53.0%
2011	59.78	1048^th	2147	51.2%
2012	55.05	1167^th	2166	46.1%
2013	51.56	1132^nd	2167	47.8%
2014	41.85	1282^nd	2093	38.7%
2015	47.18	966^th	2052	52.9%
2016	39.20	1188^th	2046	41.9%
2017	41.13	1140^th	2044	44.2%
2018	43.63	1084^th	2037	46.8%
2019	42.34	1146^th	2086	45.1%
2021	43.93	977^th	1948	49.8%
2022	41.04	1153^rd	2082	44.6%
2023	49.43	958^th	2077	53.9%
2024	54.10	838^th	2067	59.5%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Washington Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	34.98	502^nd	718	30.1%
2019	38.50	475^th	743	36.1%
2021	52.46	155^th	537	71.1%
2022	46.13	346^th	768	54.9%
2023	44.40	368^th	788	53.3%
2024	52.32	276^th	826	66.6%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Washington Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	28.09	564^th	763	26.1%
2019	31.30	805^th	1194	32.6%
2021	30.47	435^th	640	32.0%
2022	25.52	901^st	1113	19.0%
2023	27.81	842^nd	1156	27.2%
2024	33.18	770^th	1195	35.6%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Washington Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	37.64	1133^rd	1765	35.8%
2019	37.93	1167^th	1816	35.7%
2021	48.47	672^nd	1514	55.6%
2022	35.19	1137^th	1763	35.5%
2023	46.88	888^th	1808	50.9%
2024	58.41	590^th	1793	67.1%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Washington Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	46.57	999^th	1964	49.1%
2019	49.94	946^th	2019	53.1%
2021	46.07	822^nd	1680	51.1%
2022	35.74	1185^th	1970	39.8%
2023	46.08	965^th	1957	50.7%
2024	52.27	814^th	1942	58.1%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Washington Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	29.49	647^th	907	28.7%
2024	38.16	503^rd	886	43.2%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Washington Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	40.06	1114^th	1972	43.5%
2019	34.86	1279^th	2019	36.7%
2021	35.85	1024^th	1707	40.0%
2022	47.29	934^th	1977	52.8%
2023	51.73	859^th	1984	56.7%
2024	53.78	800^th	1959	59.2%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Washington Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	45.21	489^th	938	47.9%
2019	41.08	550^th	955	42.4%
2021	63.69	154^th	742	79.2%
2022	56.53	333^rd	954	65.1%
2023	64.77	236^th	970	75.7%
2024	56.69	317^th	959	66.9%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Washington Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	39.68	906^th	1463	38.1%
2019	33.73	1012^th	1462	30.8%
2021	28.38	1001^st	1308	23.5%
2022	23.00	1184^th	1425	16.9%
2023	32.46	1002^nd	1419	29.4%
2024	42.93	797^th	1392	42.7%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Illinois State Board of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Illinois State Board of Education

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Enrollment information for Washington Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	404	7	3	16	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	430
1989	398	9	3	25	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	435
1990	455	20	2	34	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	511
1991	431	20	1	37	0	n/a	n/a	0	489
1992	344	18	1	181	0	n/a	n/a	0	544
1993	305	31	1	164	2	n/a	n/a	0	503
1994	274	26	0	191	2	n/a	n/a	0	493
1995	257	19	3	213	2	n/a	n/a	0	494
1996	257	19	3	213	2	n/a	n/a	0	494
1997	206	18	3	180	4	n/a	n/a	0	411
1998	186	26	3	182	5	n/a	n/a	0	402
1999	186	21	1	196	0	n/a	n/a	0	404
2000	186	22	3	198	5	n/a	n/a	0	414
2001	208	15	3	206	0	n/a	n/a	0	432
2002	187	19	1	179	1	n/a	n/a	0	387
2003	187	19	1	179	1	n/a	n/a	0	387
2004	273	15	1	99	0	n/a	n/a	0	388
2005	260	11	0	105	2	n/a	n/a	27	405
2006	257	12	2	116	1	n/a	n/a	31	419
2007	255	9	1	114	0	n/a	n/a	33	412
2008	253	12	2	104	1	n/a	n/a	35	407
2009	228	13	4	102	0	n/a	n/a	57	404
2010	236	15	2	106	1	n/a	n/a	61	421
2011	232	14	2	155	1	0	8	0	412
2012	204	20	1	135	2	0	11	0	373
2013	196	12	2	137	5	0	15	0	367
2014	204	10	0	136	7	0	14	0	371
2015	219	6	1	160	2	0	14	0	402
2016	217	5	1	155	3	0	15	0	396
2017	224	9	2	169	2	0	16	0	422
2018	204	7	2	172	2	0	16	0	403
2019	202	5	4	156	4	0	10	0	381
2020	222	5	2	147	2	0	11	0	389
2021	219	5	1	120	1	0	17	0	363
2022	213	6	0	124	0	0	23	0	366
2023	202	1	1	113	1	2	20	0	340

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Washington Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	430	20.0	21.5	n/a
1989	435	20.0	21.7	n/a
1990	511	26.0	19.6	n/a
1991	489	24.0	20.3	n/a
1992	544	25.0	21.7	n/a
1993	503	27.0	18.6	n/a
1994	493	26.0	19.0	n/a
1995	494	29.8	16.6	n/a
1996	494	29.8	16.6	n/a
1997	411	27.0	15.2	n/a
1998	402	28.0	14.4	n/a
1999	404	28.0	14.4	n/a
2000	414	26.7	15.5	n/a
2001	432	29.7	14.5	n/a
2002	387	26.7	14.5	70
2003	387	26.7	14.5	70
2004	388	22.0	17.6	44.8
2005	405	21.0	19.3	52.9
2006	419	21.0	20.0	44.3
2007	412	18.0	22.9	48
2008	407	18.0	22.6	50.3
2009	404	25.0	16.2	62.5
2010	421	27.5	15.3	57.8
2011	412	27.0	15.2	55.1
2012	373	26.0	14.3	56.8
2013	367	23.5	15.6	59.4
2014	371	21.2	17.4	60.4
2015	402	20.0	20.1	60.9
2016	396	20.0	19.8	53.3
2017	422	22.2	18.9	52.1
2018	403	20.0	20.1	59.1
2019	381	21.9	17.3	62.7
2020	389	22.6	17.1	59.4
2021	363	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	366	30.5	12.0	49.2
2023	340	28.5	11.9	51.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Washington Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	430	20.0	21.5	n/a
1989	435	20.0	21.7	n/a
1990	511	26.0	19.6	n/a
1991	489	24.0	20.3	n/a
1992	544	25.0	21.7	n/a
1993	503	27.0	18.6	n/a
1994	493	26.0	19.0	n/a
1995	494	29.8	16.6	n/a
1996	494	29.8	16.6	n/a
1997	411	27.0	15.2	n/a
1998	402	28.0	14.4	n/a
1999	404	28.0	14.4	n/a
2000	414	26.7	15.5	n/a
2001	432	29.7	14.5	n/a
2002	387	26.7	14.5	70
2003	387	26.7	14.5	70
2004	388	22.0	17.6	44.8
2005	405	21.0	19.3	52.9
2006	419	21.0	20.0	44.3
2007	412	18.0	22.9	48
2008	407	18.0	22.6	50.3
2009	404	25.0	16.2	62.5
2010	421	27.5	15.3	57.8
2011	412	27.0	15.2	55.1
2012	373	26.0	14.3	56.8
2013	367	23.5	15.6	59.4
2014	371	21.2	17.4	60.4
2015	402	20.0	20.1	60.9
2016	396	20.0	19.8	53.3
2017	422	22.2	18.9	52.1
2018	403	20.0	20.1	59.1
2019	381	21.9	17.3	62.7
2020	389	22.6	17.1	59.4
2021	363	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	366	30.5	12.0	49.2
2023	340	28.5	11.9	51.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

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