Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 61081

There are four elementary schools in zip code 61081: Jefferson Elementary School and Franklin Elementary School serve pre-K through grade 2, while Washington Elementary School and Lincoln Elementary School serve grades 3–5; all are part of Sterling CUSD 5. Together they enroll 1,528 students, with school sizes ranging from 277 to 450. Achievement results are available only for Washington and Lincoln, so comparisons of test scores cover those two schools. The clearest shared academic concern is English language arts: their average proficiency was 47%, compared with 56% statewide, a gap of 10 percentage points.

Washington stands out for the stronger overall ELA and math results, while Lincoln had the lower overall results in those subjects. In 2025–26, Washington’s ELA proficiency was 49%, compared with Lincoln’s 44%; in math, the figures were 41% and 37%. Both schools were below Illinois in ELA, but math was much closer to the state: Washington was 1 point above the state average, and Lincoln was 2 points below. Lincoln was the science standout, with 48% proficiency in grade 5, versus Washington’s 46% and the state’s 48%. Grade-level results add nuance: Lincoln led Washington in grade 4 math by 6 points, while Washington led in grade 3 math by 17 points.

Science improved markedly from 2024–25 to 2025–26, even as ELA and math trends were less favorable overall. Fifth-grade science rose 8 points at Washington and 14 at Lincoln; across both schools, the average increased 11 points. By comparison, their average ELA result rose by less than 1 point, while the state rose 3 points, and average math fell 2 points. SchoolDigger’s 2025–26 rankings put Washington at the 38th percentile and Lincoln at the 33rd; both had two stars in the supplied history, and both rankings fell from the prior year. Their student-teacher ratios were similar, at 12.3 and 12.5. For 2024–25, free/reduced lunch eligible figures were 61% at Washington and 70% at Lincoln; these are context, not an explanation for test results. All four schools also had lower 2025–26 chronic absenteeism than the state’s 24% rate.