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Cortland Elementary School

Public Grades K-5

1588^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,056 Illinois Elementary Schools

Better than 23% of Illinois elementary schools

Summary

Cortland Elementary School is a public elementary school in Cortland, Illinois, serving 505 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the DeKalb CUSD 428 district, which is ranked 767 out of 811 districts in Illinois and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. Cortland Elementary has consistently been ranked in the bottom half of Illinois elementary schools, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger for the past several years.

Cortland Elementary School's academic performance is significantly below the state and district averages. In the 2024-2025 school year, only 28.9% of students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 53.1% and the district average of 23.8%. In mathematics, the school's proficiency rate was 22.8%, compared to the state average of 38.5% and the district average of 19.3%. The school also has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 17.3% to 27.1% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state average. Additionally, 63.37% of Cortland Elementary students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds.

When comparing Cortland Elementary School to nearby schools in the same district, it becomes clear that the school is underperforming. For example, Jefferson Elementary School, also in the DeKalb CUSD 428 district, has significantly higher academic performance, with 55.3% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 46.3% in Mathematics in the 2024-2025 school year. Despite the school's relatively high per-student spending of $20,737 in the 2023-2024 school year, Cortland Elementary School has not shown significant improvement in its academic performance over the past several years, suggesting a need for a more comprehensive and targeted approach to addressing the unique needs of the school's student population.

523

Students ?

13.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,673

Per pupil spending ?

62.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

370 E Lexington Ave
Cortland, IL 60112-4417

(815) 754-2360

District: DeKalb CUSD 428

Students who attend Cortland Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Huntley Middle School
High:	DeKalb High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

42.3%

White:

37.3%

African American:

11.7%

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 33rd percentile in 2015 → 23rd in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Illinois average (27% vs 44% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (23rd percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 10 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school27%

District avg21%

Illinois avg44%

1,588^th of 2,056

Illinois public elementary schools ?

Bottom 23%▼ down 11 pts since 2015

From bottom 33% (2015) to bottom 23% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 8Elementary Schools in the DeKalb CUSD 428

767^th of 811DeKalb CUSD 428 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	23.6	1588 of 2056	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.5	1667 of 2067	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.3	1633 of 2077	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.2	1630 of 2082	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.3	1531 of 1948	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.5	1462 of 2086	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	32.2	1368 of 2037	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2017	28.9	1444 of 2044	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	25.1	1566 of 2046	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	31.5	1369 of 2052	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2014	45.5	1198 of 2093	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2013	49.3	1168 of 2167	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2012	50.9	1276 of 2166	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2011	66.5	851 of 2147	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2010	62.5	981 of 2139	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2009	71.1	690 of 2120	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2008	68.5	784 of 2092	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2007	69.0	744 of 2095	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2006	57.2	1137 of 2086	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2005	66.7	802 of 2022	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2004	75.7	495 of 2030	75.6%	★★★★☆
2003	77.6	441 of 2020	78.2%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2023	35.4	441 of 692	36.3%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	40.0	579 of 1049	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.4	579 of 886	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	26.0	717 of 907	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	20.4	734 of 788	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	25.1	733 of 826	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.5	683 of 788	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.7	738 of 768	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	34.5	379 of 537	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.1	672 of 743	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	27.6	616 of 718	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	28.1	1417 of 1942	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.3	1616 of 1942	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.2	1471 of 1957	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	23.3	1509 of 1970	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.1	1324 of 1680	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	30.2	1408 of 2019	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	31.1	1356 of 1964	31.0%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	20.7	839 of 982	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.1	873 of 959	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	23.7	828 of 970	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	23.4	814 of 954	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	20.9	701 of 742	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	19.5	874 of 955	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	16.3	887 of 938	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	18.6	1601 of 1800	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.6	1645 of 1793	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	21.9	1580 of 1808	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.1	1579 of 1763	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	20.5	1379 of 1514	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	31.1	1337 of 1816	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.9	1479 of 1765	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	21.1	1556 of 1947	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.7	1515 of 1959	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.4	1585 of 1984	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.2	1591 of 1977	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	18.7	1437 of 1707	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	30.4	1394 of 2019	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.7	1261 of 1972	36.1%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	31.6	857 of 1292	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	26.0	921 of 1195	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.8	947 of 1156	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.6	1101 of 1113	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	19.3	640 of 640	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	24.0	1008 of 1194	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	20.8	1167 of 1389	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.0	1233 of 1392	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	15.6	1274 of 1419	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	9.6	1367 of 1425	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	17.1	1186 of 1308	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	25.1	1158 of 1462	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.5	1008 of 1463	31.1%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Disabled (2025)45th percentile+22 vs school

African American (2023)36th percentile+15 vs school

Special Education (2025)34th percentile+11 vs school

Female (2025)27th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2025)20th percentile-3 vs school

White (2025)16th percentile-7 vs school

Hispanic (2025)15th percentile-8 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)11th percentile-12 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)7th percentile-16 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?

Science30%-10 vs state

English Language Arts29%-24 vs state

Mathematics23%-16 vs state

1.0

1 rating

5★0

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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Schools Near Cortland Elementary School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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)	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	IAR English Language Arts 3rd Grade	IAR English Language Arts 4th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 5th Grade	IAR English Language Arts All Grades	IAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	IAR Mathematics 4th Grade	IAR Mathematics 5th 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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Cortland Elementary School	Public	K-5	370 E Lexington Ave	Cortland	60112	DeKalb County	DeKalb CUSD 428	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 754-2360	523	40	13.0	62.1%	195 (37.3%)	61 (11.7%)	221 (42.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (8.6%)	23.6	1588^th of 2056 public elementary schools	22.8%		20.5	1667^th of 2067 public elementary schools	19.4%	79	30.3	29.3	24.4	33.3	28.9	24.0	19.5	25.3	22.8	97.3	97.7	97.7	97.7		96.5	96.1		$20,673	$1,871	$18,802
Littlejohn Elementary School	Public	K-5	1121 School St	DeKalb	60115	DeKalb County	DeKalb CUSD 428	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 754-2258	362	24	14.9	70.7%	98 (27.1%)	51 (14.1%)	184 (50.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (7.7%)	26.4	1528^th of 2056 public elementary schools	25.7%		22.7	1600^th of 2067 public elementary schools	22.6%	72	20.6	31.0	35.2	27.1	30.8	39.0	29.6	20.0	29.0	98.1	98.3	98.3	98.3		96.1	97.5		$19,282	$1,674	$17,608
Founders Elementary School	Public	K-5	821 S 7th St	Dekalb	60115	DeKalb County	DeKalb CUSD 428	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 754-3800	565	39	14.5	78.1%	103 (18.2%)	167 (29.6%)	248 (43.9%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	43 (7.6%)	17.5	1729^th of 2056 public elementary schools	15.9%		20.5	1665^th of 2067 public elementary schools	19.4%	64	16.3	23.3	34.2	15.2	23.7	24.4	26.6	9.9	19.9	97.3	97.1	97.1	97.1	32.1	95.8	97.1		$18,460	$1,482	$16,977
Lincoln Elementary School	Public	K-5	220 E Sunset Pl	DeKalb	60115	DeKalb County	DeKalb CUSD 428	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 754-2212	272	17	15.8	62.9%	100 (36.8%)	123 (45.2%)	28 (10.3%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (7.0%)	12.9	1849^th of 2056 public elementary schools	10.1%		16.3	1787^th of 2067 public elementary schools	13.5%	62	12.5	20.0	21.6	29.2	23.4	16.4	15.7	10.4	14.3	95.5	95.1	95.1	95.1	99.2	94.7	95.1		$18,066	$1,371	$16,695
Tyler Elementary School	Public	K-5	1021 Alden Circle	Dekalb	60115	DeKalb County	DeKalb CUSD 428	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 754-2389	265	19	13.9	78.9%	57 (21.5%)	148 (55.8%)	29 (10.9%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (10.6%)	10.1	1942^nd of 2056 public elementary schools	5.5%		14.4	1871^st of 2067 public elementary schools	9.5%	71	9.3	16.2	26.5	11.6	18.6	13.5	16.3	4.7	11.6	92.8	97.9	97.9	97.9		97.5	97.5		$19,143	$1,692	$17,451
South Prairie Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	820 Borden Ave	Sycamore	60178	DeKalb County	Sycamore CUSD 427	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(815) 899-8299	456	28	16.5	34.4%	324 (71.1%)	26 (5.7%)	75 (16.4%)	5 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.5%)	56.1	886^th of 2056 public elementary schools	56.9%		49.7	945^th of 2067 public elementary schools	54.3%	59	49.2	48.9	45.8	45.8	46.7	42.6	42.4	54.2	46.7	98.4	98.2	98.2	98.2	98.6	98.2	98.2	29.4	$13,822	$882	$12,940
Jefferson Elementary School	Public	K-5	211 McCormick Dr	Dekalb	60115	DeKalb County	DeKalb CUSD 428	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 754-2263	308	28	11.1	56.8%	111 (36.0%)	95 (30.8%)	56 (18.2%)	21 (6.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (8.1%)	56.1	885^th of 2056 public elementary schools	57.0%		55.4	814^th of 2067 public elementary schools	60.6%	71	39.6	40.9	40.4	58.3	46.0	42.4	53.2	56.3	49.7	96.5	96.2	96.2	96.2	98.1	95.0	96.5		$21,393	$1,449	$19,944
Southeast Elementary School	Public	K-5	718 S Locust St	Sycamore	60178	DeKalb County	Sycamore CUSD 427	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(815) 899-8219	300	24	12.3	30.7%	230 (76.7%)	8 (2.7%)	43 (14.3%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	15 (5.0%)	69.2	618^th of 2056 public elementary schools	69.9%		61.7	707^th of 2067 public elementary schools	65.8%	89	56.8	72.5	47.6	50.0	56.3	72.5	52.4	38.6	55.1	96.0	94.6	94.6	94.6	27.5	94.6	95.3		$15,227	$280	$14,947
West Elementary School	Public	K-5	718 S Locust St	Sycamore	60178	DeKalb County	Sycamore CUSD 427	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(815) 899-8219	270	24	11.2	60.0%	176 (65.2%)	15 (5.6%)	57 (21.1%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (7.4%)	59.9	812^th of 2056 public elementary schools	60.5%		42.9	1095^th of 2067 public elementary schools	47.0%	283	40.0	52.3	52.9	60.0	55.3	61.4	38.2	37.8	46.3	95.2	95.6	95.6	95.6		95.2	94.4		$16,190	$285	$15,905
Gwendolyn Brooks Elementary School	Public	K-5	3225 Sangamon Dr	Dekalb	60115	DeKalb County	DeKalb CUSD 428	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 754-9936	328	23	13.9	80.2%	53 (16.2%)	182 (55.5%)	48 (14.6%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (13.1%)	11	1911^th of 2056 public elementary schools	7.1%		13.3	1931^st of 2067 public elementary schools	6.6%	20	13.7	6.0	17.8	29.4	17.8	10.0	12.3	13.7	12.1	98.2	97.9	97.9	97.9	99.7	97.9	97.9		$19,757	$1,506	$18,251

Frequently Asked Questions about Cortland Elementary School

How many students attend Cortland Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 523 students attended Cortland Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Cortland Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Huntley Middle School
High : DeKalb High School

What is the racial makeup of Cortland Elementary School?

Students at Cortland Elementary School are 42% Hispanic, 37% White, 12% African American, 9% Two or more races.

What district is Cortland Elementary School in?

DeKalb CUSD 428

Is Cortland Elementary School a good school?

Cortland Elementary School ranks in the bottom 22.8% of Illinois elementary schools.

Rate Cortland Elementary School!

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Latest Illinois data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataOct 30, 2025

2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesOct 30, 2025

2024–25 ACT, IAR, ISA & PreACT Secure test scoresOct 30, 2025

2023–24 school spending dataOct 30, 2024

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.