Is Hickory Grove Elementary School a good school?

Yes. Hickory Grove Elementary School ranks in the top 5.5% of Illinois elementary schools.

How many students attend Hickory Grove Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 856 students attended Hickory Grove Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Hickory Grove Elementary School?

Students at Hickory Grove Elementary School are 48% White, 39% Asian, 7% African American, 3% Hispanic, 2% American Indian.

What schools do graduates of Hickory Grove Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Hickory Grove Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Dunlap Middle School High : Dunlap High School

Hickory Grove Elementary School

Summary:

Hickory Grove Elementary School is a high-performing public elementary school in Dunlap, Illinois, serving 801 students in grades PK-5 and part of the Dunlap CUSD 323 district, which is ranked 73 out of 813 districts in the state.

Hickory Grove Elementary consistently ranks among the top 5% of Illinois elementary schools, with exceptional academic achievement across all grade levels and student subgroups. In the 2023-2024 school year, 68% of students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 69% for the district and 41.2% for the state, while 60.9% were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 54.2% for the district and 28.4% for the state. The school's performance is particularly strong in 3rd grade, where 63.9% of students were proficient in ELA and 67.7% were proficient in Mathematics. Hickory Grove also excels in serving diverse student populations, ranking among the top Illinois elementary schools for Asian, African American, English Language Learner, Special Education, and Disabled student subgroups.

Compared to nearby schools, such as Ridgeview Elementary School, Dunlap Grade School, and Banner Elementary School, Hickory Grove outperforms them in both ELA and Mathematics proficiency across all grade levels. While the school's chronic absenteeism rates have increased from 2.2% in 2019-2020 to 13.8% in 2022-2023, they remain lower than the state average. The school's increased spending per student, from $7,455 in 2020-2021 to $8,980 in 2022-2023, suggests a commitment to investing in student resources and support, which may contribute to its strong academic performance.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

2514 W Hickory Grove Rd
Dunlap, IL 61525-9802

(309) 243-8711

District: Dunlap CUSD 323

SchoolDigger Rank:
114^th of 2,067 Illinois Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,119

Students who attend Hickory Grove Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Dunlap Middle School
High:	Dunlap High School

Student/teacher ratio: 20.0

Number of students: 856

Racial breakdown:

White:

48.4%

Asian:

39.1%

African American:

6.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 12.5%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare Hickory Grove Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Hickory Grove Elementary School ranks better than 94.5% of elementary schools in Illinois. It also ranks first among 5 ranked elementary schools in the Dunlap CUSD 323 School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 94.59. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Hickory Grove Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Dunlap CUSD 323 School District. Racial makeup is: White (48.4%), Asian (39.1%), African American (6.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 12.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Dunlap CUSD 323 School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Hickory Grove Elementary School is 20, which is the highest among 5 elementary schools in the Dunlap CUSD 323 School District! (See more...)

Compare Hickory Grove Elementary School employs 42.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Hickory Grove Elementary School is $9,119, which is the lowest among 5 elementary schools in the Dunlap CUSD 323 School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Hickory Grove Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Hickory Grove Elementary School 114^th of 2067 Illinois public elementary schools. (See Hickory Grove Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

Asian students:

African American students:

White students:

Dunlap CUSD 323:

SchoolDigger ranks Dunlap CUSD 323 73^rd of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Hickory Grove Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Hickory Grove Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2015	94.72	96^th	2052	95.3%
2016	93.70	103^rd	2046	95.0%
2017	91.05	146^th	2044	92.9%
2018	95.02	77^th	2037	96.2%
2019	95.81	52^nd	2086	97.5%
2021	98.45	23^rd	1948	98.8%
2022	95.83	70^th	2082	96.6%
2023	94.16	102^nd	2077	95.1%
2024	94.59	114^th	2067	94.5%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Hickory Grove Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2021	90.16	16^th	537	97.0%
2022	80.90	49^th	768	93.6%
2023	73.26	104^th	788	86.8%
2024	93.77	16^th	826	98.1%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Hickory Grove Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	85.38	44^th	763	94.2%
2019	98.37	14^th	1194	98.8%
2021	93.66	17^th	640	97.3%
2022	87.39	64^th	1113	94.2%
2023	75.27	189^th	1156	83.7%
2024	91.58	70^th	1195	94.1%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Hickory Grove Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2022	64.90	436^th	1763	75.3%
2023	63.04	495^th	1808	72.6%
2024	75.06	261^st	1793	85.4%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Hickory Grove Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	96.14	44^th	1964	97.8%
2019	96.45	30^th	2019	98.5%
2021	96.88	32^nd	1680	98.1%
2022	94.98	77^th	1970	96.1%
2023	92.98	108^th	1957	94.5%
2024	91.37	139^th	1942	92.8%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Hickory Grove Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	88.83	44^th	907	95.1%
2024	98.21	12^th	886	98.6%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Hickory Grove Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	92.88	97^th	1972	95.1%
2019	93.36	88^th	2019	95.6%
2021	98.39	18^th	1707	98.9%
2022	95.31	59^th	1977	97.0%
2023	93.44	95^th	1984	95.2%
2024	95.07	76^th	1959	96.1%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Hickory Grove Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	78.84	40^th	242	83.5%
2019	83.14	23^rd	243	90.5%
2021	77.31	21^st	134	84.3%
2022	81.87	23^rd	226	89.8%
2023	81.32	28^th	237	88.2%
2024	78.85	34^th	219	84.5%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Hickory Grove Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	84.62	43^rd	684	93.7%
2024	96.28	14^th	655	97.9%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for White students at Hickory Grove Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	79.68	227^th	1463	84.5%
2019	80.43	205^th	1462	86.0%
2021	90.67	68^th	1308	94.8%
2022	83.62	157^th	1425	89.0%
2023	76.06	263^rd	1419	81.5%
2024	77.03	247^th	1392	82.3%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Illinois State Board of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Illinois State Board of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a teacher
Tuesday, November 7, 2017

I am a substitute teacher and have taught at the school all six years it has been open and have been treated so amazingly well by the staff and especially the students! I love everything about this school!!! Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, December 20, 2016

learns each and every single day. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Hickory Grove Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2013	354	23	163	11	0	0	13	564
2014	395	26	189	14	1	0	38	663
2015	390	23	204	15	0	0	29	661
2016	391	27	242	17	2	0	38	717
2017	396	29	275	16	2	0	33	751
2018	385	29	275	23	1	0	31	744
2019	375	35	296	15	5	0	29	755
2020	405	39	315	15	7	0	21	802
2021	416	35	339	20	5	0	29	844
2022	408	48	344	17	8	2	10	837
2023	415	49	304	16	13	2	2	801
2024	414	58	335	26	15	4	4	856

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Hickory Grove Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2013	564	31.6	17.8	5.1
2014	663	35.6	18.6	5.1
2015	661	38.0	17.3	2.6
2016	717	35.0	20.4	2.5
2017	751	40.3	18.6	2.3
2018	744	44.5	16.7	3.6
2019	755	36.7	20.5	6.8
2020	802	42.0	19.0	20.4
2021	844	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	837	43.0	19.4	8.2
2023	801	41.0	19.5	10.5
2024	856	42.7	20.0	12.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Hickory Grove Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2013	564	31.6	17.8	5.1
2014	663	35.6	18.6	5.1
2015	661	38.0	17.3	2.6
2016	717	35.0	20.4	2.5
2017	751	40.3	18.6	2.3
2018	744	44.5	16.7	3.6
2019	755	36.7	20.5	6.8
2020	802	42.0	19.0	20.4
2021	844	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	837	43.0	19.4	8.2
2023	801	41.0	19.5	10.5
2024	856	42.7	20.0	12.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

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