Summary:
Zip code 60417 has two K–5 elementary schools in Crete, both part of Crete Monee CUSD 201U: Balmoral Elementary School and Crete Elementary School. In 2025–2026, Crete had stronger all-grades results, but both schools were below state proficiency in English language arts (ELA) and math. Across the two schools, the average was 40% in ELA versus 56% statewide, and 22% in math versus 40% statewide. The clearest area-wide concern is that both schools’ math results were well below the state level.
Crete Elementary School stands out on all-grades ELA and math: it scored 46% in ELA and 25% in math, compared with 34% and 18% at Balmoral Elementary School—leads of 13 and 7 percentage points. Crete’s strongest grade-level result was third-grade ELA at 50%, 2 points above the state; Balmoral’s third-grade ELA was 30%, 18 points below. Balmoral’s only listed test advantage was a narrow grade 5 science lead: 25.0% versus Crete’s 24.3%, with both about 23 points below the state. Balmoral was farther below the state on all-grades ELA and math, by 23 and 21 points, while Crete was below by 10 and 15 points.
Results improved at both schools from 2024–2025 to 2025–2026, though the pace differed: Crete gained 7 points in ELA and 11 in math, while Balmoral gained 1 point in ELA and 2 in math. Balmoral’s grade 5 science rose 9 points, compared with 4 at Crete. SchoolDigger rankings moved from the 26th to the 7th percentile for Balmoral over three years, while Crete moved from the 32nd to the 22nd percentile and then held steady. As context, free/reduced lunch eligible rates for 2024–2025 were 73% at Balmoral and 65% at Crete; student-teacher ratios were 15.8 and 14.2, respectively. Chronic absenteeism in 2025–2026 was 28% at Balmoral and 31% at Crete, both above the 24% state rate. These figures describe differences, not causes of test results.
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