Darien School District 61

The Darien School District 61 in Illinois operates three schools: two elementary schools (Mark DeLay School and Lace Elementary School) and one middle school (Eisenhower Junior High School). The district has a mix of high-performing and average-performing schools, with some areas of concern, such as chronic absenteeism and resource allocation.

Mark DeLay School stands out as a consistently high-performing elementary school, ranking among the top 162-143 in Illinois over the past three years and earning a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. However, the school has a relatively high chronic absenteeism rate of 25.4% and a free/reduced lunch rate of 34.57%, which are areas of concern. In contrast, Lace Elementary School has also performed well, ranking in the top 534-439 elementary schools in Illinois, with a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. Lace Elementary School stands out for its strong academic performance, with 62.6% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 58.3% proficient or better in Mathematics.

Eisenhower Junior High School has mixed academic performance, with 50.3% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 44.8% in Mathematics. The district's spending per student ranges from $13,658 at Lace Elementary School to $17,830 at Eisenhower Junior High School, and the student-teacher ratios are relatively low, ranging from 10.9 at Eisenhower Junior High School to 12.3 at Mark DeLay School. The high chronic absenteeism rate of 25.4% across all three schools is a significant concern that the district should address.