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Gardner Elementary School

Q: Is Gardner Elementary School a good school?

Gardner Elementary School ranks 876 th of 2056 Illinois elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-8

876^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,056 Illinois Elementary Schools

Better than 57% of Illinois elementary schools

Summary

Gardner Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-8 in Gardner, Illinois, with 145 students. The school is part of the Gardner CCSD 72C district, which is ranked 354 out of 811 districts in Illinois and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Gardner Elementary School consistently performs above the state average in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics proficiency, with 58.6% and 41.4% proficiency respectively in 2024-2025, compared to the state averages of 53.1% and 38.5%. The school's performance in Science is particularly strong, with 5th grade students achieving 50% proficiency and 8th grade students achieving 72.2% proficiency, both well above the state averages. Despite having a high percentage of low-socioeconomic status students, the school's performance remains strong, indicating effective strategies in supporting this student population.

Compared to nearby schools, Gardner Elementary School generally outperforms the surrounding districts in both ELA and Mathematics proficiency, particularly in the upper grades. However, some nearby schools, such as Coal City Intermediate School and Reed-Custer Elementary School, demonstrate stronger overall performance and higher rankings within the state. The school also maintains a relatively high per-student spending of $17,730 in 2023-2024 and a low student-teacher ratio of 11.1, which may contribute to its strong academic performance. However, the school should address the concerning trend of increasing chronic absenteeism, which rose from 14.3% in 2023-2024 to 25.4% in 2024-2025.

146

Students ?

9.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,042

Per pupil spending ?

51.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

598 N Elm St
Gardner, IL 60424-7050

(815) 237-2313

District: Gardner CCSD 72C

Students who attend Gardner Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Gardner-South Wilmington Township High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

86.3%

Hispanic:

11.0%

Two or more races:

2.1%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare Gardner Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 58th percentile in 2015 → 57th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Illinois average (56% vs 44% meeting standards)

✓Above the Illinois median (57th percentile)

✓Small classes — about 9 students per teacher

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school56%

District avg56%

Illinois avg44%

Elementary school

876^th of 2,056

Illinois public elementary schools ?

Top 43%▼ down 1 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

426^th of 1,368

Illinois public middle schools ?

Top 31%▲ up 12 pts since 2015

From top 43% (2015) to top 31% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

354^th of 811Gardner CCSD 72C 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	56.4	876 of 2056	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.0	1022 of 2067	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.1	926 of 2077	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	40.5	1168 of 2082	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	48.6	886 of 1948	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	66.5	644 of 2086	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	71.0	537 of 2037	73.6%	★★★★☆
2017	52.0	909 of 2044	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2016	56.9	809 of 2046	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	51.7	860 of 2052	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2014	73.5	545 of 2093	74.0%	★★★★☆
2013	70.2	655 of 2167	69.8%	★★★☆☆
2012	77.1	480 of 2166	77.8%	★★★★☆
2011	68.2	798 of 2147	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2010	63.2	958 of 2139	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2009	73.9	607 of 2120	71.4%	★★★★☆
2008	69.6	734 of 2092	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2007	73.2	588 of 2095	71.9%	★★★★☆
2006	74.2	535 of 2086	74.4%	★★★★☆
2005	70.0	675 of 2022	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2004	66.4	804 of 2030	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2003	75.2	532 of 2020	73.7%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	79.1	364 of 1942	81.3%	★★★★☆
2019	62.2	698 of 2019	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	79.3	344 of 1964	82.5%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	91.4	59 of 1800	96.7%	★★★★★
2018	89.8	65 of 1765	96.3%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2022	58.0	730 of 1977	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.6	702 of 1707	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	35.8	1252 of 2019	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	51.5	862 of 1972	56.3%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	37.6	938 of 1389	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	28.8	1045 of 1392	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.4	989 of 1419	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	23.3	1177 of 1425	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	35.3	879 of 1308	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	53.2	664 of 1462	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.1	612 of 1463	58.2%	★★★☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	65.1	426 of 1368	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	72.3	321 of 1363	76.4%	★★★★☆
2023	70.7	319 of 1367	76.7%	★★★★☆
2022	52.2	549 of 1369	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	48.6	535 of 1241	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.5	502 of 1356	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	67.8	359 of 1293	72.2%	★★★★☆
2017	45.0	668 of 1293	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2016	49.6	599 of 1294	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2015	49.4	558 of 1302	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2014	67.9	396 of 1322	70.0%	★★★★☆
2013	70.7	365 of 1367	73.3%	★★★★☆
2012	73.6	345 of 1365	74.7%	★★★★☆
2011	73.4	339 of 1344	74.8%	★★★★☆
2010	65.1	525 of 1327	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2009	67.3	478 of 1318	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2008	63.9	553 of 1293	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2007	68.5	434 of 1287	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2006	70.0	394 of 1272	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2005	89.9	51 of 1209	95.8%	★★★★★
2004	90.6	51 of 1204	95.8%	★★★★★
2003	81.8	199 of 1185	83.2%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2022	81.0	190 of 1286	85.2%	★★★★☆
2021	69.3	260 of 1017	74.4%	★★★★☆
2019	48.9	616 of 1276	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.5	367 of 1226	70.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2021	34.9	638 of 1048	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	65.8	367 of 1296	71.7%	★★★★☆
2018	74.4	247 of 1223	79.8%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	45.5	490 of 884	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	58.3	327 of 875	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.6	388 of 895	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	36.3	560 of 898	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.2	512 of 813	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.2	528 of 905	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	48.6	433 of 889	51.3%	★★★☆☆

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)97th percentile+39 vs school

Female (2025)81st percentile+24 vs school

Male (2022)63rd percentile+19 vs school

White (2025)32nd percentile-25 vs school

Middle school

Female (2022)85th percentile+25 vs school

White (2025)45th percentile-24 vs school

Male (2021)39th percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?

Science61%+18 vs state

English Language Arts59%+6 vs state

Mathematics41%+3 vs state

★

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Schools Near Gardner 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
Gardner Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	598 N Elm St	Gardner	60424	Grundy County	Gardner CCSD 72C	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 237-2313	146	16	9.1	51.4%	126 (86.3%)	1 (0.7%)	16 (11.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.1%)	56.4	876^th of 2056 public elementary schools	57.4%		46	1022^nd of 2067 public elementary schools	50.6%	146	50.0	72.2	50.0	58.3	68.8	42.9	66.7	61.1	58.6	25.0	50.0	56.3	14.3	46.7	50.0	41.4										$20,042	$853	$19,189
South Wilmington Grade School	Public	K-8	375 Fifth Ave	South Wilmington	60474	Grundy County	South Wilmington CCSD 74	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(815) 237-2281	73	8	9.1	28.8%	73 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	63.3	736^th of 2056 public elementary schools	64.2%					(n/a)	70.0			70.0	40.0				51.0		60.0	20.0				44.9	98.8	98.8	98.8	98.8	98.8	98.8	97.5		35.0	$18,519	$05	$18,514
Braceville Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	209 N Mitchell St	Braceville	60407	Grundy County	Braceville School District 75	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 237-8040	130	13	10.0	60.8%	103 (79.2%)	5 (3.8%)	16 (12.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (4.6%)	29.6	1444^th of 2056 public elementary schools	29.8%		22.4	1611^th of 2067 public elementary schools	22.1%	167	28.6	21.4	38.5	54.5	7.1	30.8		7.1	27.4	30.8	45.5	14.3	0.0		14.3	19.2	95.6	95.6	95.6	95.6	95.6	95.6	95.6		32.5	$16,821	$878	$15,943
Coal City Early Childhood Center	Public	PK, KG-1	755 S Carbon Hill Rd	Coal City	60416	Grundy County	Coal City CUSD 1	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 634-5042	437	27	16.1	34.3%	366 (83.8%)	1 (0.2%)	47 (10.8%)	3 (0.7%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.7%)								(n/a)																	96.0	96.0	96.0	96.0	96.0	96.0	96.0	36.3		$17,977	$663	$17,313
Reed-Custer Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	162 S School St	Braidwood	60408	Will County	Reed Custer CUSD 255U	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 458-2145	690	53	12.9	43.8%	563 (81.6%)	6 (0.9%)	87 (12.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (4.8%)	65.2	701^st of 2056 public elementary schools	65.9%		64.1	659^th of 2067 public elementary schools	68.1%	42	46.5		62.5	49.5	66.7				59.3	54.5	39.6	45.5				46.6										$18,604	$184	$18,420
Coal City Intermediate School	Public	4-5	305 E Division St	Coal City	60416	Grundy County	Coal City CUSD 1	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 634-2182	294	19	15.6	32.7%	241 (82.0%)	2 (0.7%)	39 (13.3%)	5 (1.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.0%)	82	348^th of 2056 public elementary schools	83.1%		84	282^nd of 2067 public elementary schools	86.4%	66	59.8			71.2	75.8				73.3		51.9	54.5				53.1	99.3	99.3	99.3	99.3	99.3	99.3	99.3			$16,135	$748	$15,387
Coal City Elementary School	Public	2-3	300 N Broadway St	Coal City	60416	Grundy County	Coal City CUSD 1	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 634-2334	302	21	14.3	34.4%	231 (76.5%)	1 (0.3%)	55 (18.2%)	4 (1.3%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.6%)								(n/a)			60.0						60.0	58.7						58.7	98.0	98.0	98.0	98.0	98.0	98.0	98.0			$16,929	$792	$16,137
Mazon-Verona-Kinsman Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	1013 North St	Mazon	60444	Grundy County	Mazon-Verona-Kinsman Education Service District 2C	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 448-2471	172	16	10.9	38.4%	150 (87.2%)	1 (0.6%)	14 (8.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.9%)	69.4	613^th of 2056 public elementary schools	70.2%		61.3	710^th of 2067 public elementary schools	65.7%	97			61.1	56.0					59.0	61.1	48.0					55.7										$19,667	$1,316	$18,351
Dwight Common School	Public	PK, KG-8	801 S Columbia St	Dwight	60420	Livingston County	Dwight Common School District 232	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 584-6221	519	41	12.7	45.5%	435 (83.8%)	2 (0.4%)	56 (10.8%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.0%)	41	1192^nd of 2056 public elementary schools	42.0%		23.8	1578^th of 2067 public elementary schools	23.7%	386	41.5	50.0	42.9	40.8	39.6	51.0	51.2	59.1	47.2	46.3	40.8	11.5	17.6	11.6	31.8	26.1	96.5	96.3	96.3	96.3	96.1	95.7	96.1	11.7	25.2	$14,051	$1,205	$12,847
Bruning Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-1	1910 Bruning Dr	Wilmington	60481	Will County	Wilmington CUSD 209U	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 926-1683	222	14	16.0	42.8%	190 (85.6%)	2 (0.9%)	21 (9.5%)	3 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.7%)								(n/a)																										$15,423	$2,075	$13,348

Frequently Asked Questions about Gardner Elementary School

How many students attend Gardner Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 146 students attended Gardner Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Gardner Elementary School?

Students at Gardner Elementary School are 86% White, 11% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Gardner Elementary School attend?

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

High : Gardner-South Wilmington Township High School

Is Gardner Elementary School a good school?

Gardner Elementary School ranks 876^th of 2056 Illinois elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Gardner Elementary School in?

Gardner CCSD 72C

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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.