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Gwendolyn Brooks Elementary School

Public Grades K-5

1911^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,056 Illinois Elementary Schools

Better than 7% of Illinois elementary schools

Summary

Gwendolyn Brooks Elementary School is a public elementary school in Dekalb, Illinois, serving 323 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. Over the past 10 years, Gwendolyn Brooks Elementary School has consistently ranked in the bottom 20% of Illinois elementary schools, with a 1-star or 0-star rating.

Academically, Gwendolyn Brooks Elementary School underperforms compared to the district and state averages. In the 2024-2025 school year, only 17.8% of students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 23.8% for the district and 53.1% for the state. In Mathematics, only 12.1% of students were proficient, compared to 19.3% for the district and 38.5% for the state. The school also has a high chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 23.0% to 27.1% over the past few years, significantly higher than the state average.

When comparing Gwendolyn Brooks Elementary School to nearby schools within the same district, such as Founders Elementary School, Tyler Elementary School, and Lincoln Elementary School, the performance gap is quite significant. These nearby schools generally outperform Gwendolyn Brooks Elementary School in academic proficiency, chronic absenteeism, and student subgroup performance. Expanding the comparison to schools outside the DeKalb CUSD 428 district, such as the Sycamore CUSD 427 schools, the performance gap becomes even more pronounced.

328

Students ?

13.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,757

Per pupil spending ?

80.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3225 Sangamon Dr
Dekalb, IL 60115-4702

(815) 754-9936

District: DeKalb CUSD 428

Students who attend Gwendolyn Brooks Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Clinton Rosette Middle School
High:	DeKalb High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

55.5%

White:

16.2%

Hispanic:

14.6%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare Gwendolyn Brooks Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 35th percentile in 2015 → 7th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Illinois average (15% vs 44% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (7th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 28 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school15%

District avg21%

Illinois avg44%

1,911^th of 2,056

Illinois public elementary schools ?

Bottom 7%▼ down 28 pts since 2015

From bottom 35% (2015) to bottom 7% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th 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	11.0	1911 of 2056	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	13.3	1931 of 2067	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	18.0	1760 of 2077	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.2	1734 of 2082	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	16.3	1706 of 1948	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	16.2	1839 of 2086	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	17.7	1732 of 2037	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	20.3	1671 of 2044	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	29.8	1428 of 2046	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2015	32.6	1337 of 2052	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2014	36.0	1399 of 2093	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2013	59.7	947 of 2167	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	66.7	844 of 2166	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2011	53.3	1210 of 2147	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2010	60.1	1048 of 2139	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2009	58.5	1082 of 2120	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2008	68.2	794 of 2092	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2007	54.8	1201 of 2095	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2006	61.9	990 of 2086	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2005	69.0	706 of 2022	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2004	59.7	1003 of 2030	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2003	64.6	872 of 2020	56.8%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	24.4	581 of 688	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.9	605 of 655	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	31.4	499 of 692	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	31.7	478 of 684	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	23.9	427 of 428	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	25.4	604 of 711	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.0	515 of 698	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	32.3	694 of 1049	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	19.7	852 of 886	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	29.7	638 of 907	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	12.8	1774 of 1942	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	15.4	1740 of 1942	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.4	1693 of 1957	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.3	1619 of 1970	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	15.2	1517 of 1680	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	14.7	1826 of 2019	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	14.7	1767 of 1964	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	20.6	843 of 982	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	10.7	1747 of 1800	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	15.6	1723 of 1793	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	22.2	1567 of 1808	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.3	1686 of 1763	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	22.0	1334 of 1514	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.8	1604 of 1816	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.5	1615 of 1765	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	10.9	1816 of 1947	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	14.4	1789 of 1959	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	19.6	1619 of 1984	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.2	1678 of 1977	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	15.6	1550 of 1707	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	20.1	1679 of 2019	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.1	1526 of 1972	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	21.4	1067 of 1292	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.7	1161 of 1195	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	19.3	1075 of 1156	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	24.4	948 of 1113	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	20.6	1121 of 1194	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2023	30.0	1050 of 1419	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.3	1253 of 1425	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	8.7	1279 of 1308	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	15.1	1333 of 1462	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	21.4	1244 of 1463	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆

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)34th percentile+27 vs school

White (2023)26th percentile+11 vs school

Special Education (2025)17th percentile+10 vs school

African American (2025)16th percentile+8 vs school

Hispanic (2025)14th percentile+7 vs school

Female (2025)9th percentile~ school

Male (2025)7th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)3rd percentile-4 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts18%-35 vs state

Science14%-27 vs state

Mathematics12%-26 vs state

★

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Schools Near Gwendolyn Brooks 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)	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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
North Elementary School	Public	K-5	1680 Brickville Rd	Sycamore	60178	DeKalb County	Sycamore CUSD 427	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(815) 899-8209	309	21	15.0	19.1%	247 (79.9%)	11 (3.6%)	26 (8.4%)	8 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.5%)	66.3	684^th of 2056 public elementary schools	66.7%		79.1	386^th of 2067 public elementary schools	81.3%	298	50.9	47.6	61.5	58.2	54.8	55.6	46.2	49.1	51.0	95.5	95.2	95.2	95.2		95.2	95.2		$12,998	$252	$12,746

Frequently Asked Questions about Gwendolyn Brooks Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Gwendolyn Brooks Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Gwendolyn Brooks Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Clinton Rosette Middle School
High : DeKalb High School

What district is Gwendolyn Brooks Elementary School in?

DeKalb CUSD 428

What is the racial makeup of Gwendolyn Brooks Elementary School?

Students at Gwendolyn Brooks Elementary School are 55% African American, 16% White, 15% Hispanic, 13% Two or more races.

How many students attend Gwendolyn Brooks Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 328 students attended Gwendolyn Brooks Elementary School.

Is Gwendolyn Brooks Elementary School a good school?

Gwendolyn Brooks Elementary School ranks in the bottom 7.1% of Illinois elementary schools.

Rate Gwendolyn Brooks 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.