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Pershing Elementary School

Public Grades K-5

1806^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,056 Illinois Elementary Schools

Better than 12% of Illinois elementary schools

Summary

Pershing Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Joliet, Illinois, serving 606 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Joliet PSD 86 district, which is ranked 755 out of 811 districts in Illinois and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Pershing Elementary School consistently performs below the state and district averages in standardized test scores for English Language Arts and Mathematics. In the 2024-2025 school year, only 27.2% of Pershing students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 53.1% statewide and 29.9% in the Joliet PSD 86 district. Similarly, only 12.5% of Pershing students were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 38.5% statewide and 17% in the district. The school also struggles to support the academic achievement of various student subgroups, ranking in the bottom 25% of Illinois elementary schools for African American, Hispanic, English Language Learner, Special Education, and Low Socioeconomic Status students.

Pershing Elementary School's challenges extend beyond academic performance. The school has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 25.4% to 28.2% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state average. While the school spends more per student ($17,854 in 2023-2024) compared to the state average, this does not translate to improved academic outcomes. Nearby schools within the Joliet PSD 86 district, such as Thomas Jefferson Elementary, Edna Keith Elementary, and Lynne Thigpen Elementary, also perform below the state average in academic achievement, but generally outperform Pershing Elementary School.

621

Students ?

19.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,428

Per pupil spending ?

96.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

251 N Midland Ave
Joliet, IL 60435-6837

(815) 725-0986

District: Joliet PSD 86

Students who attend Pershing Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:

Dirksen Junior High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

69.6%

African American:

17.2%

White:

9.7%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare Pershing Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 37th percentile in 2015 → 12th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Illinois average (18% vs 44% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (12th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 25 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school18%

District avg22%

Illinois avg44%

1,806^th of 2,056

Illinois public elementary schools ?

Bottom 12%▼ down 25 pts since 2015

From bottom 37% (2015) to bottom 12% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

11^th of 15Elementary Schools in the Joliet PSD 86

755^th of 811Joliet PSD 86 among Illinois districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	14.5	1806 of 2056	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.8	1742 of 2067	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.9	1768 of 2077	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.7	1714 of 2082	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.5	1837 of 1948	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	20.6	1706 of 2086	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	17.3	1743 of 2037	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	19.4	1701 of 2044	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	26.0	1533 of 2046	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	34.3	1285 of 2052	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2014	40.8	1300 of 2093	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2013	32.1	1551 of 2167	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	50.9	1277 of 2166	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2011	51.2	1255 of 2147	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2010	44.8	1397 of 2139	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2009	48.2	1319 of 2120	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2008	41.9	1423 of 2092	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2007	36.9	1561 of 2095	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	45.4	1392 of 2086	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2005	49.7	1236 of 2022	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2004	30.8	1568 of 2030	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	54.9	1113 of 2020	44.9%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	24.8	570 of 688	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.2	537 of 655	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.9	493 of 692	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	32.3	467 of 684	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	25.6	389 of 428	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	20.4	665 of 711	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	29.6	525 of 698	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	17.2	993 of 1049	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	25.2	723 of 886	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.5	673 of 907	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	39.8	468 of 788	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.4	579 of 826	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.1	612 of 788	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	38.5	471 of 768	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	34.3	383 of 537	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	38.9	470 of 743	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.2	325 of 718	54.7%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	14.8	1724 of 1942	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.9	1594 of 1942	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.8	1650 of 1957	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.0	1533 of 1970	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	12.3	1605 of 1680	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	23.6	1591 of 2019	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	19.0	1640 of 1964	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	24.0	809 of 982	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.9	750 of 959	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.5	778 of 970	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.9	757 of 954	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.6	683 of 742	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	36.8	606 of 955	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	29.1	703 of 938	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	24.5	1454 of 1800	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.3	1364 of 1793	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.2	1355 of 1808	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	31.4	1248 of 1763	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.6	1344 of 1514	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	35.6	1225 of 1816	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	29.4	1322 of 1765	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	15.0	1698 of 1947	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.1	1677 of 1959	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.0	1680 of 1984	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.1	1758 of 1977	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	14.0	1606 of 1707	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	20.4	1669 of 2019	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	17.7	1715 of 1972	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	13.4	1235 of 1292	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	19.2	1092 of 1195	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	23.1	976 of 1156	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.9	1071 of 1113	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	20.2	608 of 640	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	21.0	1112 of 1194	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	30.8	515 of 763	32.5%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2024	26.5	1081 of 1392	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	16.5	1304 of 1462	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	10.8	1396 of 1463	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

English Language Learner (2025)41st percentile+28 vs school

White (2024)22nd percentile+7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)19th percentile+7 vs school

Hispanic (2025)18th percentile+5 vs school

African American (2025)17th percentile+5 vs school

Male (2025)13th percentile~ school

Female (2025)11th percentile~ school

Disabled (2025)5th percentile-7 vs school

Special Education (2025)4th percentile-8 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts27%-26 vs state

Science15%-25 vs state

Mathematics12%-26 vs state

3.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a teacher
Saturday, June 8, 2019

Great school if your child plans a career in crime. Very poor academic achievement in all areas. Nearly all students receive some governmental assistance or payment. Illegal alien children make up nearly 40 percent of the student body, and teachers spend 100 percent of their time with these limited English speaking students. Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, November 30, 2018

Great teachers Close Quote

Schools Near Pershing Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ISA Science (2025)		IAR English Language Arts (2025)							IAR Mathematics (2025)							% Polio (2024)	% Measles (2024)	% Mumps (2024)	% Rubella (2024)	% Hepatitis B (2024)	% Varicella (2024)	% DTP (2024)	% Meningococcal (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISA Science 5th Grade	ISA Science 8th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 3rd Grade	IAR English Language Arts 4th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 5th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 6th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 7th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 8th Grade	IAR English Language Arts All Grades	IAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	IAR Mathematics 4th Grade	IAR Mathematics 5th Grade	IAR Mathematics 6th Grade	IAR Mathematics 7th Grade	IAR Mathematics 8th Grade	IAR Mathematics All Grades	% Polio All Grades	% Measles All Grades	% Mumps All Grades	% Rubella All Grades	% Hepatitis B All Grades	% Varicella All Grades	% DTP All Grades	% Meningococcal All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Pershing Elementary School	Public	K-5	251 N Midland Ave	Joliet	60435	Will County	Joliet PSD 86	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 725-0986	621	33	19.0	96.1%	60 (9.7%)	107 (17.2%)	432 (69.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.4%)	14.5	1806^th of 2056 public elementary schools	12.2%		17.8	1742^nd of 2067 public elementary schools	15.7%	64	15.4		26.8	24.8	30.8				27.2	22.7	8.5	6.6				12.5	98.6	98.6	98.6	98.6	98.6	98.6	98.6		$18,428	$1,916	$16,512
Lynne Thigpen Elementary School	Public	K-5	207 S Midland Ave	Joliet	60436	Will County	Joliet PSD 86	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 741-7629	620	40	15.3	93.9%	45 (7.3%)	139 (22.4%)	397 (64.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (6.0%)	14.8	1790^th of 2056 public elementary schools	12.9%		17.2	1763^rd of 2067 public elementary schools	14.7%	27	18.8		15.1	17.8	36.5				23.1	17.0	19.8	9.3				15.4	96.4	97.4	97.4	97.4	98.4	97.4	96.6		$19,291	$2,041	$17,250
Farragut Elementary School	Public	K-5	701 Glenwood Ave	Joliet	60435	Will County	Joliet PSD 86	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 723-0394	568	34	16.8	94.2%	25 (4.4%)	178 (31.3%)	340 (59.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (4.4%)	11.2	1901^st of 2056 public elementary schools	7.5%		17.5	1752^nd of 2067 public elementary schools	15.2%	149	17.9		15.5	16.7	26.9				19.3	12.4	14.3	6.4				11.2	95.7	95.3	95.3	95.3	96.4	95.3	95.3		$18,063	$1,817	$16,245
Taft Elementary School	Public	K-5	1125 Oregon St	Joliet	60435	Will County	Joliet PSD 86	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 725-2700	424	21	19.9	94.6%	59 (13.9%)	57 (13.4%)	279 (65.8%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.9%)	28.9	1463^rd of 2056 public elementary schools	28.8%		25.5	1526^th of 2067 public elementary schools	26.2%	63	32.3		22.2	36.5	45.3				34.3	31.9	25.7	18.8				25.7	97.5	98.5	98.5	98.5	98.1	98.1	97.5		$18,079	$1,536	$16,543
Rockdale Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	715 Meadow Ave	Rockdale	60436	Will County	Rockdale School District 84	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 725-5321	257	24	10.6	71.2%	45 (17.5%)	31 (12.1%)	163 (63.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (6.6%)	13.4	1833^rd of 2056 public elementary schools	10.8%		26.1	1513^th of 2067 public elementary schools	26.8%	320	15.4	44.4	15.6	23.1	29.6	33.3	52.2	44.4	31.3	21.9	7.7	11.1	0.0	21.7	22.2	14.0	91.1	92.6	92.6	92.6	94.2	91.9	92.3	23.6	$23,152	$1,847	$21,305
Carl Sandburg Elementary	Public	K-5	1100 Lilac Ln	Joliet	60435	Will County	Joliet PSD 86	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 725-0281	371	20	18.7	95.1%	26 (7.0%)	157 (42.3%)	165 (44.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.9%)	9.3	1959^th of 2056 public elementary schools	4.7%		13.2	1937^th of 2067 public elementary schools	6.3%	22	10.0		15.3	7.8	28.0				16.9	10.2	11.8	8.0				10.0	96.5	97.9	97.9	97.9	98.6	97.5	96.5		$17,492	$1,746	$15,746
M J Cunningham Elementary School	Public	K-5	500 Moran St	Joliet	60435	Will County	Joliet PSD 86	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 723-0169	484	33	14.5	94.0%	25 (5.2%)	29 (6.0%)	410 (84.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.9%)	15.7	1771^st of 2056 public elementary schools	13.9%		19.4	1699^th of 2067 public elementary schools	17.8%	72	16.0		19.4	19.7	27.4				22.3	24.7	21.1	15.5				20.1	97.1	97.1	97.1	97.1	97.1	97.1	97.1		$17,539	$1,554	$15,985
Thomas Jefferson Elementary School	Public	K-5	2651 Glenwood Ave	Joliet	60435	Will County	Joliet PSD 86	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 725-0262	235	28	8.4	94.0%	38 (16.2%)	48 (20.4%)	131 (55.7%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (6.8%)	32.7	1365^th of 2056 public elementary schools	33.6%		34.3	1281^st of 2067 public elementary schools	38.0%	84	25.6		34.8	36.1	35.9				35.5	60.9	19.4	17.9				34.7	98.5	99.1	99.1	99.1	99.1	98.9	98.9		$16,857	$1,404	$15,454
Edna Keith Elementary School	Public	K-5	400 4th Ave	Joliet	60433	Will County	Joliet PSD 86	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 723-3409	402	25	16.0	95.0%	14 (3.5%)	122 (30.3%)	248 (61.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (4.5%)	7.9	1996^th of 2056 public elementary schools	2.9%		13	1942^nd of 2067 public elementary schools	6.0%	54	5.1		6.8	16.4	15.3				12.4	16.4	11.3	7.8				12.4	94.7	95.8	95.8	95.8	94.7	95.0	95.5		$20,584	$2,115	$18,469
Troy Craughwell School	Public	PK, KG-4	3333 Black Rd	Joliet	60431	Will County	Troy CCSD 30C	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 577-6760	526	38	13.7	54.4%	169 (32.1%)	77 (14.6%)	240 (45.6%)	15 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.6%)	58.5	845^th of 2056 public elementary schools	58.9%		68.4	582^nd of 2067 public elementary schools	71.8%	263			45.7	48.9					47.3	65.4	41.4					53.0									$17,054	$277	$16,777

Frequently Asked Questions about Pershing Elementary School

How many students attend Pershing Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 621 students attended Pershing Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Pershing Elementary School?

Students at Pershing Elementary School are 70% Hispanic, 17% African American, 10% White, 3% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Pershing Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Pershing Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Dirksen Junior High School

Is Pershing Elementary School a good school?

Pershing Elementary School ranks in the bottom 12.2% of Illinois elementary schools.

What district is Pershing Elementary School in?

Joliet PSD 86

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Board of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.