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East Coloma - Nelson Elementary School

Q: Is East Coloma - Nelson Elementary School a good school?

East Coloma - Nelson Elementary School ranks 629 th of 2056 Illinois elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-8

629^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,056 Illinois Elementary Schools

Better than 69% of Illinois elementary schools

Summary

East Coloma - Nelson Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 213 students in grades PK-8 in Rock Falls, Illinois, which is part of the East Coloma - Nelson CESD 20 district.

The school has shown consistent academic performance, with 3-star ratings from SchoolDigger for most years in the past decade. In the 2024-2025 school year, East Coloma - Nelson Elementary School's proficiency rates in English Language Arts (65.5%) and Mathematics (37.3%) are higher than the state averages (53.1% and 38.5%, respectively). Compared to nearby schools, the school generally performs better than the district and state averages, particularly in English Language Arts, with its 3rd grade ELA proficiency rate (76.2%) significantly higher than the state average (47.3%). However, the school's Mathematics proficiency rates, especially in the upper grades, are lower than the state averages, indicating a potential area for improvement.

East Coloma - Nelson Elementary School has a relatively high percentage of low socioeconomic status (SES) students, with 47.89% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch in 2023-2024. Despite this, the school's performance on the ELA and Mathematics assessments for low-SES students is noteworthy, with the school ranking in the top 479 out of 1,800 Illinois elementary schools for this subgroup in 2024-2025. The school has also experienced high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 11.9% to 26.3% in recent years, which is higher than the state average. Addressing chronic absenteeism could be an area of focus for the school to improve overall student outcomes. The school spends approximately $17,218 per student, which is higher than the spending levels of many nearby schools, and maintains a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 10.8, which could be a contributing factor to its academic performance.

214

Students ?

11.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,859

Per pupil spending ?

52.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1602 Dixon Rd
Rock Falls, IL 61071-1913

(815) 625-4400

District: East Coloma - Nelson CESD 20

Students who attend East Coloma - Nelson Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Rock Falls Township High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

72.9%

Hispanic:

22.9%

Two or more races:

3.7%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare East Coloma - Nelson Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 41st percentile in 2015 → 69th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Illinois average (55% vs 44% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 28 percentile points since 2015

✓Above the Illinois median (69th percentile)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school55%

District avg55%

Illinois avg44%

Elementary school

629^th of 2,056

Illinois public elementary schools ?

Top 31%▲ up 28 pts since 2015

From bottom 41% (2015) to top 31% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

459^th of 1,368

Illinois public middle schools ?

Top 34%▲ up 23 pts since 2015

From bottom 43% (2015) to top 34% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

297^th of 811East Coloma - Nelson CESD 20 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	68.6	629 of 2056	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	43.1	1088 of 2067	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	52.5	889 of 2077	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	47.9	987 of 2082	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	44.0	973 of 1948	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	45.6	1060 of 2086	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	51.5	918 of 2037	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2017	32.5	1347 of 2044	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2016	36.9	1247 of 2046	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2015	37.0	1209 of 2052	41.1%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	61.1	730 of 1942	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.0	779 of 1942	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.4	681 of 1957	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	30.8	1297 of 1970	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	39.4	1181 of 2019	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	50.8	902 of 1964	54.1%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	66.1	479 of 1800	73.4%	★★★★☆
2024	60.1	543 of 1793	69.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.6	458 of 1808	74.7%	★★★★☆
2022	66.3	398 of 1763	77.4%	★★★★☆
2021	52.3	581 of 1514	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	54.2	704 of 1816	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.4	574 of 1765	67.5%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	69.0	572 of 1947	70.6%	★★★★☆
2024	21.4	1547 of 1959	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	45.3	990 of 1984	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	53.7	811 of 1977	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	46.8	804 of 1707	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	46.1	1008 of 2019	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.3	893 of 1972	54.7%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	56.3	617 of 1389	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	30.2	1021 of 1392	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	39.4	886 of 1419	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.6	1015 of 1425	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	32.5	933 of 1308	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.9	1141 of 1462	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	31.0	1053 of 1463	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	62.6	459 of 1368	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.9	638 of 1363	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.1	496 of 1367	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	41.9	721 of 1369	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	17.6	1069 of 1241	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	54.6	557 of 1356	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.4	515 of 1293	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2017	35.9	802 of 1293	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2016	33.9	835 of 1294	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2015	38.4	741 of 1302	43.1%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	74.2	284 of 1248	77.2%	★★★★☆
2022	30.1	863 of 1286	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	16.4	904 of 1017	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	60.9	444 of 1276	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.5	448 of 1226	63.5%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	66.7	305 of 1229	75.2%	★★★★☆
2024	55.5	443 of 1219	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	82.3	113 of 1234	90.8%	★★★★★
2022	49.4	528 of 1221	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	23.8	855 of 1019	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	58.9	394 of 1217	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.8	296 of 1161	74.5%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	55.0	512 of 1271	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.4	566 of 1264	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.6	347 of 1292	73.1%	★★★★☆
2022	51.6	520 of 1286	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	19.6	892 of 1048	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	45.6	635 of 1296	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	41.1	672 of 1223	45.1%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	54.7	377 of 884	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	38.9	533 of 875	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.9	525 of 895	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.8	609 of 898	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	10.6	784 of 813	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	39.7	554 of 905	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.1	561 of 889	36.9%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Elementary school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)73rd percentile+4 vs school

Male (2025)71st percentile~ school

Female (2025)62nd percentile-7 vs school

White (2025)56th percentile-14 vs school

Middle school

Female (2025)77th percentile+11 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)75th percentile+9 vs school

Male (2025)60th percentile-7 vs school

White (2025)57th percentile-9 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts66%+12 vs state

Science59%+16 vs state

Mathematics37%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near East Coloma - Nelson 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)	% Pneumococcal (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	% Pneumococcal All Grades	% Meningococcal All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
East Coloma - Nelson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	1602 Dixon Rd	Rock Falls	61071	Whiteside County	East Coloma - Nelson CESD 20	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 625-4400	214	18	11.8	52.8%	156 (72.9%)	1 (0.5%)	49 (22.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.7%)	68.6	629^th of 2056 public elementary schools	69.4%		43.1	1088^th of 2067 public elementary schools	47.4%	459	52.4	65.2	76.2	56.0	63.6	63.0	54.2	82.6	65.5	61.9	56.0	31.8	25.9	16.7	34.8	37.3	98.6	97.7	97.7	97.7	96.8	97.2	98.6		34.6	$19,859	$1,224	$18,634
Merrill Elementary School	Public	3-5	600 4th Ave	Rock Falls	61071	Whiteside County	Rock Falls Education Service District 13	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 625-4634	258	20	13.1	77.9%	168 (65.1%)	3 (1.2%)	78 (30.2%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.1%)	38.9	1232^nd of 2056 public elementary schools	40.1%		44	1071^st of 2067 public elementary schools	48.2%	161	28.1		39.3	52.1	40.4				43.4	36.9	45.1	14.6				31.1	96.7	96.2	96.2	96.2	96.2	96.2	96.7			$15,165	$1,408	$13,757
Lincoln Elementary School	Public	3-5	1501 E 6th St	Sterling	61081	Whiteside County	Sterling CUSD 5	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 625-1449	277	22	12.5	70.4%	160 (57.8%)	6 (2.2%)	86 (31.0%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (7.9%)	49.3	1012^th of 2056 public elementary schools	50.8%		46.9	1003^rd of 2067 public elementary schools	51.5%	9	34.7		46.8	49.4	43.7				46.4	68.8	36.6	23.1				41.0	97.4	97.4	97.4	97.4	97.4	97.4	97.4			$16,059	$1,655	$14,404
Dillon Elementary School	Public	K-2	1901 8th Ave	Rock Falls	61071	Whiteside County	Rock Falls Education Service District 13	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 625-3356	278	21	13.0	78.4%	168 (60.4%)	11 (4.0%)	77 (27.7%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (7.2%)								(n/a)																	96.5	97.3	97.3	97.3	95.0	97.3	95.7			$15,174	$1,417	$13,757
Jefferson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	806 E Le Fevre Rd	Sterling	61081	Whiteside County	Sterling CUSD 5	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 625-6402	450	30	14.9	69.6%	246 (54.7%)	10 (2.2%)	166 (36.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.0%)								(n/a)																	96.7	96.7	96.7	96.7	96.7	96.7	96.7	25.2		$15,073	$1,655	$13,418
Franklin Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	1510 E 25th St	Sterling	61081	Whiteside County	Sterling CUSD 5	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 625-5755	407	30	13.5	55.3%	233 (57.2%)	10 (2.5%)	134 (32.9%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (6.1%)								(n/a)																	94.5	94.5	94.5	94.5	94.5	94.5	94.5	15.1		$16,538	$3,034	$13,504
Washington Elementary School	Public	3-5	815 W Le Fevre Rd	Sterling	61081	Whiteside County	Sterling CUSD 5	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 625-2372	394	32	12.3	60.9%	225 (57.1%)	7 (1.8%)	132 (33.5%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (6.3%)	49.7	1007^th of 2056 public elementary schools	51.0%		54.1	838^th of 2067 public elementary schools	59.5%	169	37.4		46.7	52.2	39.5				46.3	48.9	36.6	39.8				41.8	98.5	98.5	98.5	98.5	98.5	97.7	98.7			$14,586	$1,655	$12,931
Montmorency CCSD #145	Public	K-8	9415 Hoover Rd	Rock Falls	61071	Whiteside County	Montmorency CCSD 145	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 625-6616	209	21	9.9	37.8%	166 (79.4%)	1 (0.5%)	34 (16.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.8%)	50.5	998^th of 2056 public elementary schools	51.5%		68.9	569^th of 2067 public elementary schools	72.5%	429	35.7	31.6	65.5	33.3	53.6	40.9	61.5	36.8	49.2	93.1	23.8	34.5	22.7	53.8	42.1	46.6	96.2	96.2	96.2	96.2	95.7	96.2	95.7		28.6	$15,555	$880	$14,675
Jefferson Elementary School	Public	2-3	800 4th Ave	Dixon	61021	Lee County	Dixon Unified School District 170	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 934-9661	344	25	13.7	58.7%	269 (78.2%)	19 (5.5%)	17 (4.9%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (10.5%)								(n/a)			33.7						33.7	48.3						48.3	97.7	97.7	97.7	97.7	98.0	98.0	97.7			$17,027	$1,479	$15,548
Madison School	Public	4-5	618 Division St	Dixon	61021	Lee County	Dixon Unified School District 170	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 934-9662	323	22	14.6	56.0%	253 (78.3%)	19 (5.9%)	16 (5.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	33 (10.2%)	47.7	1044^th of 2056 public elementary schools	49.2%		44.1	1069^th of 2067 public elementary schools	48.3%	25	32.6			47.7	50.9				49.4		42.8	30.6				36.3	99.2	99.2	99.2	99.2	99.2	99.2	99.2			$16,351	$1,615	$14,735

Frequently Asked Questions about East Coloma - Nelson Elementary School

What schools do graduates of East Coloma - Nelson Elementary School attend?

Students who attend East Coloma - Nelson Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Rock Falls Township High School

How many students attend East Coloma - Nelson Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 214 students attended East Coloma - Nelson Elementary School.

What district is East Coloma - Nelson Elementary School in?

East Coloma - Nelson CESD 20

What is the racial makeup of East Coloma - Nelson Elementary School?

Students at East Coloma - Nelson Elementary School are 73% White, 23% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races.

Is East Coloma - Nelson Elementary School a good school?

East Coloma - Nelson Elementary School ranks 629^th of 2056 Illinois elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate East Coloma - Nelson Elementary School!

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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.