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Lester Elementary School

Public PK, KG-6

 236 Indianapolis Ave
       Downers Grove, IL  60515-3100

(630) 719-5855

District: Downers Grove GSD 58

SchoolDigger Rank:
128th of 2,077 Illinois Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $16,589 Help


Students who attend Lester Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Herrick Middle School
High:    Community High School District 99 - North High School

Student/teacher ratio:  18.6 Help
Number of students:  554

Racial breakdown:

White:
78.9%
Hispanic:
11.2%
Two or more races:
6.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  11.1% Help


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 Compare Lester Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Lester Elementary School ranks better than 93.8% of elementary schools in Illinois. It also ranks 5th among 11 ranked elementary schools in the Downers Grove GSD 58 School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 92.98. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a high school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Lester Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Downers Grove GSD 58 School District. Racial makeup is: White (78.9%), Hispanic (11.2%), two or more races (6.1%). (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Lester Elementary School is 18.6, which is the highest among 11 elementary schools in the Downers Grove GSD 58 School District! (See more...)
Help
Compare Lester Elementary School employs 29.7 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Lester Elementary School is $16,589. 6 elementary schools in the Downers Grove GSD 58 School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Lester Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Lester Elementary School 128th of 2077 Illinois public elementary schools. (See Lester Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Female students:
Disabled students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Downers Grove GSD 58:

SchoolDigger ranks Downers Grove GSD 58 79th of 823 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Lester Elementary School?

Rank History for Lester Elementary School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Lester Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 82.79 256th 2020 87.3%
2004 85.99 146th 2030 92.8%
2005 80.00 304th 2022 85.0%
2006 79.94 304th 2086 85.4%
2007 76.34 443rd 2095 78.9%
2008 74.54 563rd 2092 73.1%
2009 80.43 328th 2120 84.5%
2010 73.74 604th 2139 71.8%
2011 83.54 198th 2147 90.8%
2012 84.07 184th 2166 91.5%
2013 88.41 177th 2167 91.8%
2014 84.73 271st 2093 87.1%
2015 75.27 428th 2052 79.1%
2016 60.93 716th 2046 65.0%
2017 69.53 581st 2044 71.6%
2018 89.76 164th 2037 91.9%
2019 92.09 122nd 2086 94.2%
2021 95.56 71st 1948 96.4%
2022 94.90 83rd 2082 96.0%
2023 92.98 128th 2077 93.8%
See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Lester Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 89.29 29th 763 96.2%
2019 84.42 96th 1194 92.0%
2021 91.81 28th 640 95.6%
2022 95.54 27th 1113 97.6%
2023 91.27 57th 1156 95.1%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Female students at Lester Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 85.04 235th 1964 88.0%
2019 92.81 89th 2019 95.6%
2021 94.40 62nd 1680 96.3%
2022 93.68 97th 1970 95.1%
2023 93.17 104th 1957 94.7%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Lester Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 90.70 36th 907 96.0%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Lester Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 90.09 138th 1972 93.0%
2019 90.00 142nd 2019 93.0%
2021 93.90 78th 1707 95.4%
2022 94.19 83rd 1977 95.8%
2023 89.70 161st 1984 91.9%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Lester Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 85.06 72nd 970 92.6%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Lester Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 79.56 231st 1463 84.2%
2019 84.47 143rd 1462 90.2%
2021 91.04 64th 1308 95.1%
2022 89.74 77th 1425 94.6%
2023 86.22 126th 1419 91.1%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Illinois State Board of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Lester Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 
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Data source: Illinois State Board of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

by a parent
Monday, January 28, 2019

Open Quote Very happy with Lester School. I've had kids enrolled here for 7 years. Great activities, good network of parents. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Lester Elementary School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 335 7 6 5 n/a n/a n/a 0 353
1989 304 7 3 5 n/a n/a n/a 0 319
1990 302 5 3 4 n/a n/a n/a 0 314
1991 357 11 10 4 0 n/a n/a 0 382
1992 345 8 10 6 0 n/a n/a 0 369
1993 361 11 14 6 1 n/a n/a 0 393
1994 329 13 14 6 2 n/a n/a 0 364
1995 387 15 12 6 4 n/a n/a 0 424
1996 387 15 12 6 4 n/a n/a 0 424
1997 428 17 8 6 4 n/a n/a 0 463
1998 422 13 11 4 5 n/a n/a 0 455
1999 429 10 9 3 5 n/a n/a 0 456
2000 421 5 9 4 5 n/a n/a 0 444
2001 418 6 18 9 5 n/a n/a 0 456
2002 414 16 26 11 3 n/a n/a 0 470
2003 414 16 26 11 3 n/a n/a 0 470
2004 394 18 24 22 2 n/a n/a 0 460
2005 398 15 17 22 1 n/a n/a 5 458
2006 403 11 12 23 1 n/a n/a 22 472
2007 396 10 12 19 0 n/a n/a 32 469
2008 430 14 9 16 0 n/a n/a 31 500
2009 425 15 10 12 0 n/a n/a 29 491
2010 433 15 11 12 0 n/a n/a 22 493
2011 427 10 9 41 1 0 19 0 507
2012 418 7 7 45 1 0 15 0 493
2013 416 6 9 39 1 0 13 0 484
2014 404 6 10 39 2 0 11 0 472
2015 410 7 15 38 1 0 15 0 486
2016 413 7 17 41 0 0 19 0 497
2017 415 8 18 39 0 0 21 0 501
2018 412 10 19 42 0 0 21 0 504
2019 435 7 16 40 0 0 24 0 522
2020 430 6 13 40 0 0 28 0 517
2021 433 3 16 48 0 0 33 0 533
2022 437 7 15 57 0 0 35 0 551
2023 437 5 16 62 0 0 34 0 554

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Lester Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 353 16.0 22.0 n/a
1989 319 15.8 20.1 n/a
1990 314 15.8 19.8 n/a
1991 382 18.0 21.2 n/a
1992 369 19.0 19.4 n/a
1993 393 19.0 20.7 n/a
1994 364 19.0 19.2 n/a
1995 424 20.0 21.2 n/a
1996 424 20.0 21.2 n/a
1997 463 20.5 22.6 n/a
1998 455 21.5 21.2 n/a
1999 456 21.5 21.2 n/a
2000 444 21.5 20.7 n/a
2001 456 21.5 21.2 n/a
2002 470 24.5 19.2 0
2003 470 24.5 19.2 0
2004 460 24.5 18.8 0
2005 458 24.5 18.7 0
2006 472 24.5 19.3 0
2007 469 23.0 20.4 0
2008 500 21.0 23.8 0
2009 491 24.0 20.5 0
2010 493 23.5 20.9 0
2011 507 25.3 20.0 0
2012 493 25.1 19.6 7.1
2013 484 33.7 14.3 8.1
2014 472 23.5 20.0 8.1
2015 486 24.0 20.2 8.2
2016 497 24.0 20.7 6.8
2017 501 26.2 19.1 6.6
2018 504 24.9 20.2 5.8
2019 522 27.8 18.7 5.9
2020 517 28.6 18.0 3.9
2021 533 n/a n/a n/a
2022 551 29.0 19.0 11.1
2023 554 29.7 18.6 n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Lester Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 353 16.0 22.0 n/a
1989 319 15.8 20.1 n/a
1990 314 15.8 19.8 n/a
1991 382 18.0 21.2 n/a
1992 369 19.0 19.4 n/a
1993 393 19.0 20.7 n/a
1994 364 19.0 19.2 n/a
1995 424 20.0 21.2 n/a
1996 424 20.0 21.2 n/a
1997 463 20.5 22.6 n/a
1998 455 21.5 21.2 n/a
1999 456 21.5 21.2 n/a
2000 444 21.5 20.7 n/a
2001 456 21.5 21.2 n/a
2002 470 24.5 19.2 0
2003 470 24.5 19.2 0
2004 460 24.5 18.8 0
2005 458 24.5 18.7 0
2006 472 24.5 19.3 0
2007 469 23.0 20.4 0
2008 500 21.0 23.8 0
2009 491 24.0 20.5 0
2010 493 23.5 20.9 0
2011 507 25.3 20.0 0
2012 493 25.1 19.6 7.1
2013 484 33.7 14.3 8.1
2014 472 23.5 20.0 8.1
2015 486 24.0 20.2 8.2
2016 497 24.0 20.7 6.8
2017 501 26.2 19.1 6.6
2018 504 24.9 20.2 5.8
2019 522 27.8 18.7 5.9
2020 517 28.6 18.0 3.9
2021 533 n/a n/a n/a
2022 551 29.0 19.0 11.1
2023 554 29.7 18.6 n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Immunization Rates

Lester Elementary School

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Compare
YearPolioMeaslesMumpsRubellaHepatitis BVaricellaDTPPneumococcal Meningococcal
201597.7%97.7%97.7%97.7%16.4%97.9%97.9%3.9%
201697.1%97.3%97.5%97.5%18.3%97.3%83.1%3.6%14.5%
201796.3%96.3%96.3%96.3%17.0%96.5%96.3%3.1%13.9%
201896.4%96.2%96.2%96.2%17.3%96.2%96.4%3.8%13.6%
201997.4%97.6%97.6%97.6%18.5%97.1%97.4%3.8%14.6%
202198.9%98.7%98.7%98.7%98.5%98.7%98.9%2.3%16.3%
202298.7%98.7%98.9%98.9%15.9%98.7%98.7%2.1%13.2%
202399.1%98.9%98.9%98.9%15.1%98.9%99.1%3.6%11.6%

Data source: Illinois State Board of Education
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Lester Elementary School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $528 (3.8%) $13,217 (96.2%) $13,745
2020 $463 (3.2%) $13,844 (96.8%) $14,307
2021 $616 (4.1%) $14,290 (95.9%) $14,906
2022 $616 (4.1%) $14,290 (95.9%) $14,906
2023 $838 (5.1%) $15,751 (94.9%) $16,589

Data source: Illinois Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Lester Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Ranks 122nd of 2086 Elementary schoolsRanks 128th of 2077 Elementary schools
 0.3%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 % proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Lester Elementary School)51.954
 2.1%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Downers Grove GSD 58)44.554
 9.5%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Illinois)36.428.8
 7.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Lester Elementary School)73.555.1
 18.4%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Downers Grove GSD 58)55.364.1
 8.8%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Illinois)40.633
 7.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Lester Elementary School)58.865.4
 6.6%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Downers Grove GSD 58)5661.6
 5.6%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Illinois)36.735.4
 1.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Lester Elementary School)61.364.1
 2.8%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Downers Grove GSD 58)46.760.1
 13.4%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Illinois)33.527.7
 5.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Lester Elementary School)7551.3
 23.7%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Downers Grove GSD 58)56.353.4
 2.9%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Illinois)37.935.2
 2.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Lester Elementary School)57.455.1
 2.3%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Downers Grove GSD 58)46.753.9
 7.2%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Illinois)29.825.6
 4.2%
5th Grade Science (Lester Elementary School)85.383.8
 1.5%
   5th Grade Science (Downers Grove GSD 58)71.677
 5.4%
   5th Grade Science (Illinois)54.452.4
 2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Lester Elementary School)68.371.5
 3.2%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Downers Grove GSD 58)55.256.6
 1.4%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Illinois)3534.2
 0.8%
6th Grade Mathematics (Lester Elementary School)48.366.6
 18.3%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Downers Grove GSD 58)48.852.5
 3.7%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Illinois)25.323.4
 1.9%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Total Students522554
 6.1%
African American75
 28.6%
American Indian00
Asian1616
Hispanic4062
 55%
Pacific Islander00
White435437
 0.5%
Two or More Races2434
 41.7%

Schools Near Lester Elementary School








Frequently Asked Questions about Lester Elementary School

Students at Lester Elementary School are 79% White, 11% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

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

Middle : Herrick Middle School
High : Community High School District 99 - North High School

Yes. Lester Elementary School ranks in the top 6.2% of Illinois elementary schools.

In the 2022-23 school year, 554 students attended Lester 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.




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