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Silas Willard Elementary School

Q: Is Silas Willard Elementary School a good school?

Silas Willard Elementary School ranks 1236 th of 2056 Illinois elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-4

1236^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,056 Illinois Elementary Schools

Better than 40% of Illinois elementary schools

Summary

Silas Willard Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 427 students in grades K-4 in Galesburg, Illinois, which is part of the Galesburg CUSD 205 district. The school has seen a decline in its statewide ranking over the past several years, dropping from 733 out of 2,086 Illinois elementary schools in 2018-2019 to 1,236 out of 2,056 in 2024-2025. Its SchoolDigger rating has also fluctuated, ranging from 2 to 3 stars out of 5 over the past decade.

Silas Willard Elementary School's proficiency rates in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics are generally lower than the state averages, with the 2024-2025 school year showing 38.8% proficiency in ELA and 38.2% in Mathematics, compared to the state averages of 53.1% and 38.5%, respectively. The school also has experienced high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 21.4% to 30.8% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state average of 17.6% in 2020-2021. Additionally, 73.77% of the school's students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

The challenges faced by Silas Willard Elementary School appear to be reflective of broader issues within the Galesburg CUSD 205 district, as the nearby Steele School and King School also have similar low rankings, test scores, and high chronic absenteeism rates. This suggests that the district as a whole may need to address systemic factors, such as resource allocation, curriculum, and support for teachers and students, to improve educational outcomes for all students.

425

Students ?

11.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,040

Per pupil spending ?

72.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

460 Fifer St
Galesburg, IL 61401-2014

(309) 973-2015

District: Galesburg CUSD 205

Students who attend Silas Willard Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Galesburg Junior High School
	Lombard Middle School
High:	Galesburg Senior High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

56.7%

Hispanic:

16.2%

Two or more races:

14.1%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare Silas Willard Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 53rd percentile in 2015 → 40th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Illinois average (38% vs 46% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 13 percentile points since 2015

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school38%

District avg28%

Illinois avg46%

1,236^th of 2,056

Illinois public elementary schools ?

Bottom 40%▼ down 13 pts since 2015

From top 47% (2015) to bottom 40% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 3Elementary Schools in the Galesburg CUSD 205

710^th of 811Galesburg CUSD 205 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	38.7	1236 of 2056	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	51.7	896 of 2067	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.3	667 of 2077	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.3	944 of 2082	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	44.2	967 of 1948	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	62.0	733 of 2086	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	41.4	1136 of 2037	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2017	46.9	1023 of 2044	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	55.9	829 of 2046	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	47.6	958 of 2052	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2014	61.3	848 of 2093	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2013	69.9	665 of 2167	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	70.5	713 of 2166	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2011	67.6	816 of 2147	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2010	64.4	932 of 2139	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2009	71.1	693 of 2120	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2008	74.4	569 of 2092	72.8%	★★★★☆
2007	77.5	384 of 2095	81.7%	★★★★☆
2006	73.7	557 of 2086	73.3%	★★★★☆
2005	74.5	501 of 2022	75.2%	★★★★☆
2004	84.6	191 of 2030	90.6%	★★★★★
2003	79.9	347 of 2020	82.8%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2023	67.1	125 of 692	81.9%	★★★★☆
2022	46.4	293 of 684	57.2%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	39.6	1160 of 1942	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	57.4	724 of 1942	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	67.1	556 of 1957	71.6%	★★★★☆
2022	42.9	1030 of 1970	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	51.0	738 of 1680	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	56.1	826 of 2019	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	42.4	1088 of 1964	44.6%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	37.7	617 of 982	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	53.1	348 of 959	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	40.2	546 of 938	41.8%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	51.9	819 of 1800	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.1	546 of 1793	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	73.6	290 of 1808	84.0%	★★★★☆
2022	45.3	895 of 1763	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	59.8	419 of 1514	72.3%	★★★★☆
2019	63.7	489 of 1816	73.1%	★★★★☆
2018	45.7	908 of 1765	48.6%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	37.8	1181 of 1947	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.6	1024 of 1959	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	61.1	654 of 1984	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.7	820 of 1977	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	29.6	1152 of 1707	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	64.6	632 of 2019	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	39.5	1128 of 1972	42.8%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	35.0	72 of 120	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	16.9	83 of 93	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	51.8	40 of 89	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	49.5	33 of 78	57.7%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	22.3	1048 of 1292	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	52.2	394 of 1113	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.1	359 of 1194	69.9%	★★★★☆
2018	67.7	140 of 763	81.7%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	21.0	1163 of 1389	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	53.0	641 of 1392	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.7	440 of 1419	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.4	778 of 1425	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.5	860 of 1308	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.3	768 of 1462	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	27.9	1101 of 1463	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

African American (2023)82nd percentile+14 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)54th percentile+15 vs school

Female (2025)40th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2025)40th percentile~ school

Male (2025)39th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)37th percentile-3 vs school

Special Education (2025)19th percentile-21 vs school

White (2025)16th percentile-24 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts39%-14 vs state

Mathematics38%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Silas Willard 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)	% 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	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 All Grades	IAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	IAR Mathematics 4th Grade	IAR Mathematics 5th Grade	IAR Mathematics 6th 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
Silas Willard Elementary School	Public	K-4	460 Fifer St	Galesburg	61401	Knox County	Galesburg CUSD 205	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(309) 973-2015	425	38	11.1	72.5%	241 (56.7%)	54 (12.7%)	69 (16.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (14.1%)	38.7	1236^th of 2056 public elementary schools	39.9%		51.7	896^th of 2067 public elementary schools	56.7%	340		35.8	42.2			38.8	41.1	34.9			38.2	87.7	88.8	88.8	88.8	98.5	86.3	89.6			$16,040	$731	$15,309
Bright Futures Pre-K Prog	Public	PK-K	940 W Fremont St	Galesburg	61401	Knox County	Galesburg CUSD 205	No	(n/a)	No	No	(309) 973-2031	176	8	21.8	74.4%	71 (40.3%)	41 (23.3%)	29 (16.5%)	3 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	31 (17.6%)								(n/a)												74.5	77.6	77.6	77.6	77.1	75.0	72.4	74.5		$13,713	$670	$13,044
Steele School	Public	K-4	1480 W Main St	Galesburg	61401	Knox County	Galesburg CUSD 205	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(309) 973-2016	542	41	13.2	76.6%	263 (48.5%)	144 (26.6%)	57 (10.5%)	6 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	72 (13.3%)	30.8	1413^th of 2056 public elementary schools	31.3%		42	1113^th of 2067 public elementary schools	46.2%	300		27.7	42.6			35.6	29.8	33.3			31.7	82.0	90.1	89.8	89.8	98.8	89.2	87.7			$14,481	$1,596	$12,885
King School	Public	K-4	1018 S Farnham St	Galesburg	61401	Knox County	Galesburg CUSD 205	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(309) 973-2012	510	36	14.3	87.3%	242 (47.5%)	108 (21.2%)	59 (11.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	100 (19.6%)	20	1667^th of 2056 public elementary schools	18.9%		25.2	1537^th of 2067 public elementary schools	25.6%	130		27.2	36.8			32.1	20.9	16.8			18.8	73.3	75.1	75.1	75.1	98.2	72.5	76.9			$14,314	$924	$13,390
Mable Woolsey Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	106 Pleasant Ave	Knoxville	61448	Knox County	Knoxville CUSD 202	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(309) 289-4134	383	23	16.6	41.8%	372 (97.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.6%)	66.5	679^th of 2056 public elementary schools	67.0%		67.6	594^th of 2067 public elementary schools	71.3%	85		54.7	66.7			60.5	53.3	44.4			49.0	98.5	98.8	98.8	98.8	99.0	98.5	98.3	13.5		$13,365	$1,061	$12,304
R O W V A Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	333 W Holmes St	Oneida	61467	Knox County	R O W V A Cusd 208	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(309) 483-6376	369	28	13.4	44.7%	332 (90.0%)	10 (2.7%)	20 (5.4%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.1%)	68.4	638^th of 2056 public elementary schools	69.0%		42.3	1107^th of 2067 public elementary schools	46.4%	469	76.7	56.9	50.0	66.7	76.7	61.6	53.4	30.4	50.0	32.6	41.8	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	14.4	10.9	$12,639	$340	$12,299
Hedding Grade School	Public	PK, KG-5	401 W Latimer St	Abingdon	61410	Knox County	Abingdon-Avon CUSD 276	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(309) 462-2363	376	34	11.0	62.0%	322 (85.6%)	3 (0.8%)	19 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (8.2%)	59.5	822^nd of 2056 public elementary schools	60.0%		73.8	495^th of 2067 public elementary schools	76.1%	327	47.4	35.7	54.1	68.4		52.9	51.8	50.8	33.3		45.4	98.7	99.0	99.0	99.0	99.0	99.0	98.7	12.5		$15,723	$493	$15,230
United Elementary School - North	Public	PK, KG-3	411 W Hunt Ave	Alexis	61412	Warren County	United CUSD 304	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(309) 482-3332	186	17	11.0	44.6%	157 (84.4%)	7 (3.8%)	13 (7.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.3%)								(n/a)		46.9				46.9	46.9				46.9	93.6	94.8	94.8	94.8	96.0	94.8	94.4	12.5		$17,804	$160	$17,645
Lincoln Early Childhood School	Public	PK, KG-1	325 S 11th St	Monmouth	61462	Warren County	Monmouth-Roseville CUSD 238	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(309) 734-2213	324	21	15.4	62.7%	162 (50.0%)	26 (8.0%)	74 (22.8%)	24 (7.4%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	36 (11.1%)								(n/a)												96.3	96.5	96.5	96.5	97.4	96.5	96.8	35.5		$12,585	$1,974	$10,611
Harding Primary School	Public	2-3	415 E 9th Ave	Monmouth	61462	Warren County	Monmouth-Roseville CUSD 238	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(309) 734-4915	240	18	13.0	65.8%	128 (53.3%)	18 (7.5%)	65 (27.1%)	16 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (5.4%)								(n/a)		35.6				35.6	34.7				34.7	97.7	98.1	98.1	98.1	99.1	98.1	97.7			$13,209	$1,532	$11,677

Frequently Asked Questions about Silas Willard Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Silas Willard Elementary School?

Students at Silas Willard Elementary School are 57% White, 16% Hispanic, 14% Two or more races, 13% African American.

What schools do graduates of Silas Willard Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Silas Willard Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Galesburg Junior High School
Middle : Lombard Middle School
High : Galesburg Senior High School

Is Silas Willard Elementary School a good school?

Silas Willard Elementary School ranks 1236^th of 2056 Illinois elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Silas Willard Elementary School in?

Galesburg CUSD 205

How many students attend Silas Willard Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 425 students attended Silas Willard Elementary School.

Rate Silas Willard 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.