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Carman-Buckner Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1960^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,056 Illinois Elementary Schools

Better than 5% of Illinois elementary schools

Summary

Carman-Buckner Elementary School is a public elementary school in Waukegan, Illinois, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 485 students. The school is part of the Waukegan CUSD 60 district, which has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger and is ranked 760 out of 811 districts in Illinois.

Carman-Buckner Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom 10% of Illinois elementary schools over the past decade, with a current ranking of 1960 out of 2056 schools. The school's academic performance is significantly below state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas. In the 2024-2025 school year, only 15.8% of students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 53.1% statewide and 24.6% in the Waukegan district. In Mathematics, the proficiency rate was just 11%, compared to 38.5% statewide and 18.7% in the district. Additionally, Carman-Buckner has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 25.4% to 38.7% over the past few years, which is much higher than the state and district averages.

When comparing Carman-Buckner to other nearby schools in the Waukegan district, it becomes clear that the school is an outlier in terms of academic performance and student demographics. For example, Andrew Cooke Magnet Elementary School, located just 0.46 miles away, has significantly higher proficiency rates in both English Language Arts (58.9%) and Mathematics (46.3%) for the 2024-2025 school year. Despite the school's challenges, Carman-Buckner has a relatively high per-student spending of $24,320 in the 2023-2024 school year, which is higher than the district and state averages, suggesting that the issue may not be solely a lack of funding, but rather the effective allocation and utilization of resources to support student learning and engagement.

509

Students ?

14.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,568

Per pupil spending ?

82.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

520 Helmholz Ave
Waukegan, IL 60085-6428

(224) 303-1500

District: Waukegan CUSD 60

Students who attend Carman-Buckner Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	John R Lewis Middle School
High:	Waukegan High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

79.2%

African American:

16.3%

Two or more races:

2.2%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare Carman-Buckner Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 1st percentile in 2015 → 5th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Illinois average (13% vs 44% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (5th percentile)

!English Language Arts scores 37 pts below the Illinois average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school13%

District avg21%

Illinois avg44%

1,960^th of 2,056

Illinois public elementary schools ?

Bottom 5%▲ up 3 pts since 2015

From bottom 1% (2015) to bottom 5% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

12^th of 15Elementary Schools in the Waukegan CUSD 60

760^th of 811Waukegan CUSD 60 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	9.3	1960 of 2056	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	15.0	1852 of 2067	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	15.7	1839 of 2077	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.5	1764 of 2082	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.3	1847 of 1948	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	8.1	2055 of 2086	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	5.6	2035 of 2037	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	6.3	2038 of 2044	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	8.8	2005 of 2046	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	8.8	2026 of 2052	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	6.4	2030 of 2093	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	8.7	2050 of 2167	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	10.2	2022 of 2166	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	5.6	2075 of 2147	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	4.1	2078 of 2139	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	2.6	2079 of 2120	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	4.3	2019 of 2092	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	10.2	1919 of 2095	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	15.7	1841 of 2086	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	32.5	1539 of 2022	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	31.5	1555 of 2030	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	6.9	1843 of 2020	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2024	20.9	618 of 655	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	30.2	510 of 684	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	18.0	686 of 711	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	14.2	694 of 698	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	16.9	999 of 1049	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	19.7	852 of 886	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	23.4	768 of 907	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	22.8	706 of 788	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	38.9	490 of 826	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.8	482 of 788	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.4	445 of 768	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	28.4	475 of 537	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.9	616 of 743	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.6	701 of 718	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	7.6	1902 of 1942	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	16.1	1710 of 1942	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.9	1645 of 1957	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.9	1601 of 1970	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	12.4	1601 of 1680	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	7.1	2004 of 2019	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	5.7	1963 of 1964	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	12.5	945 of 982	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	23.9	783 of 959	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.0	820 of 970	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.9	756 of 954	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.0	696 of 742	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	11.3	947 of 955	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	7.4	938 of 938	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	12.4	1720 of 1800	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	22.8	1508 of 1793	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.6	1548 of 1808	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.7	1431 of 1763	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.7	1343 of 1514	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	11.8	1779 of 1816	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	7.5	1763 of 1765	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	12.5	1776 of 1947	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	15.0	1760 of 1959	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	14.6	1810 of 1984	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	16.0	1764 of 1977	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	12.4	1658 of 1707	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	10.8	1939 of 2019	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	6.9	1969 of 1972	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	19.4	1113 of 1292	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.7	1161 of 1195	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	18.8	1084 of 1156	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	23.7	984 of 1113	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.4	586 of 640	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	21.7	1089 of 1194	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	20.2	738 of 763	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Special Education (2025)14th percentile+9 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)10th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2025)9th percentile+4 vs school

African American (2024)6th percentile-5 vs school

Disabled (2025)5th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)4th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)4th percentile~ school

Female (2025)2nd percentile-3 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts16%-37 vs state

Science12%-29 vs state

Mathematics11%-28 vs state

4.3

3 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★2

4★0

3★1

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a citizen
Wednesday, September 23, 2020

No Comment. Close Quote

by a teacher
Thursday, October 31, 2019

Carman Buckner has improved dramatically with its new administration in recent years. Test scores and attendance have improved. Referrals and behavioral issues have decreased. There are high hopes for Carman Buckner and I do not doubt that with great administration, it can greatly improve all aspects over time. Also, the data provided on this website is not accurate or up do date. Close Quote

by a teacher
Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Carman is ranked below 1 percent? I have been a teacher for 22 years, 20 of those in CPS, I can beyond a reasonable shadow of a doubt tell you that this school is not bad at all. There are a few students that come here that are needing of discipline and guidance at home but there are a lot of wonderful, special students here at this school. For example, musically speaking, we have two absolutely incredible drum set players here! 3rd graders no less. The teachers on staff here care about the students and that is a huge plus and the administration is working hard to make this a much better school. I can say that most of CPS schools are not schools that I would teach at and I teach here and enjoy it. I gave three stars because it has much potential and while it will never be a St. Charles or Geneva type of school I can tell you that it is NOT a bad school at all. Yes, there is a percentage of students that are a challenge but we are reaching them and they are improving, whether or not they will improve 100 percent is up to their parents. If you are a good parent there is no reason why you would want to avoid this school. It is a rising star. Close Quote

Schools Near Carman-Buckner 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
Carman-Buckner Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	520 Helmholz Ave	Waukegan	60085	Lake County	Waukegan CUSD 60	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(224) 303-1500	509	35	14.5	82.3%	7 (1.4%)	83 (16.3%)	403 (79.2%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	11 (2.2%)	9.3	1960^th of 2056 public elementary schools	4.7%		15	1852^nd of 2067 public elementary schools	10.4%	108	11.5	16.4	7.9	23.3	15.8	11.9	12.7	8.2	11.0	78.0	81.0	81.0	81.0	81.0	75.4	79.4	11.1	$21,568	$1,868	$19,699
Andrew Cooke Magnet Elementary School	Public	K-5	522 Belvidere Rd	Waukegan	60085	Lake County	Waukegan CUSD 60	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(224) 303-1700	395	35	11.2	56.7%	23 (5.8%)	75 (19.0%)	272 (68.9%)	4 (1.0%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (4.6%)	60.7	788^th of 2056 public elementary schools	61.7%		66.3	626^th of 2067 public elementary schools	69.7%	162	31.1	56.4	57.6	62.3	58.9	54.5	52.5	32.8	46.3	98.6	98.6	98.6	98.6	98.6	98.1	98.6		$22,033	$1,111	$20,922
Evelyn Alexander School	Public	K-3	1210 Adams St	North Chicago	60064	Lake County	North Chicago School District 187	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(847) 689-7345	354	30	11.8	98.3%	3 (0.8%)	93 (26.3%)	248 (70.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.5%)								(n/a)		3.5			3.4	2.3			2.3	98.5	98.8	98.8	98.8	98.8	98.8	98.8		$20,368	$1,762	$18,607
Lyon Magnet Elementary School	Public	K-5	800 S Elmwood Ave	Waukegan	60085	Lake County	Waukegan CUSD 60	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(224) 303-2300	430	30	14.3	77.0%	7 (1.6%)	51 (11.9%)	356 (82.8%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	11 (2.6%)	19.9	1672^nd of 2056 public elementary schools	18.7%		14.6	1866^th of 2067 public elementary schools	9.7%	194	10.3	29.9	17.0	11.7	18.9	41.8	33.0	9.1	27.9	91.3	93.2	93.2	93.2	94.9	91.8	92.0		$20,251	$1,259	$18,991
Hyde Park Elementary School	Public	K-5	1525 Hyde Park Ave	Waukegan	60085	Lake County	Waukegan CUSD 60	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(224) 303-1970	295	22	13.4	78.3%	8 (2.7%)	23 (7.8%)	249 (84.4%)	4 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	9 (3.1%)	36.8	1282^nd of 2056 public elementary schools	37.6%		29.4	1416^th of 2067 public elementary schools	31.5%	134	40.0	25.0	19.6	62.5	34.1	45.5	15.7	30.0	29.6	80.7	87.4	87.4	87.4	95.2	84.8	85.9		$20,823	$1,111	$19,712
Washington Elementary School	Public	K-5	110 S Orchard Ave	Waukegan	60085	Lake County	Waukegan CUSD 60	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(224) 303-2220	384	31	12.3	78.4%	5 (1.3%)	23 (6.0%)	353 (91.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	20.8	1647^th of 2056 public elementary schools	19.9%		25.4	1534^th of 2067 public elementary schools	25.8%	113	30.2	16.4	11.1	42.2	23.4	18.0	19.0	23.4	20.2	95.5	96.0	96.0	96.0	99.2	93.6	95.2		$19,922	$1,113	$18,809
North Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	410 Franklin St	Waukegan	60085	Lake County	Waukegan CUSD 60	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(224) 303-2160	498	33	15.0	76.3%	5 (1.0%)	56 (11.2%)	419 (84.1%)	5 (1.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.2%)	7.9	1997^th of 2056 public elementary schools	2.9%		14.2	1878^th of 2067 public elementary schools	9.1%	119	8.2	6.5	13.3	14.8	11.5	19.4	11.7	4.9	12.0	96.2	96.6	96.2	96.6	96.2	96.0	96.4	13.0	$20,629	$1,111	$19,518
Whittier Elementary School	Public	K-5	901 N Lewis Ave	Waukegan	60085	Lake County	Waukegan CUSD 60	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(224) 303-1900	438	37	11.8	69.2%	3 (0.7%)	40 (9.1%)	376 (85.8%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	14 (3.2%)	21.4	1632^nd of 2056 public elementary schools	20.6%		13.7	1901^st of 2067 public elementary schools	8.0%	269	17.2	31.4	22.7	37.9	30.0	37.1	10.7	17.2	21.7	97.9	97.5	97.5	97.5	98.1	96.5	97.7		$21,192	$1,136	$20,056
Glen Flora Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1110 Chestnut St	Waukegan	60085	Lake County	Waukegan CUSD 60	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(224) 303-1800	476	37	12.8	75.2%	12 (2.5%)	61 (12.8%)	382 (80.3%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	15 (3.2%)	15.9	1768^th of 2056 public elementary schools	14.0%		17.7	1745^th of 2067 public elementary schools	15.6%	23	16.7	35.1	9.0	15.2	19.4	26.3	7.9	19.7	17.3	87.2	89.8	89.8	89.8	87.9	85.9	87.6		$19,081	$1,111	$17,970
A J Katzenmaier Academy	Public	4-5	1829 Kennedy Dr	North Chicago	60064	Lake County	North Chicago School District 187	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(847) 689-6330	387	26	14.8	99.5%	17 (4.4%)	124 (32.0%)	231 (59.7%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.8%)	7.8	2002^nd of 2056 public elementary schools	2.6%		10.9	2015^th of 2067 public elementary schools	2.5%	13	9.1		8.7	19.4	13.8		7.1	6.6	6.9	96.9	96.9	96.9	96.9	96.9	96.9	96.9		$17,938	$1,619	$16,319

Frequently Asked Questions about Carman-Buckner Elementary School

How many students attend Carman-Buckner Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 509 students attended Carman-Buckner Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Carman-Buckner Elementary School?

Students at Carman-Buckner Elementary School are 79% Hispanic, 16% African American, 2% Two or more races, 1% White.

What district is Carman-Buckner Elementary School in?

Waukegan CUSD 60

Is Carman-Buckner Elementary School a good school?

Carman-Buckner Elementary School ranks in the bottom 4.7% of Illinois elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Carman-Buckner Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Carman-Buckner Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : John R Lewis Middle School
High : Waukegan High School

Rate Carman-Buckner 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.