Every school in River Forest School District 90 earned the state's highest rating on the 2025-26 Illinois Report Card.
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) released the annual results Friday, Oct. 30, giving Willard Elementary School, Lincoln Elementary School and Roosevelt Middle School each an Exemplary designation under the state's new Profiles of Performance accountability framework, the Wednesday Journal reported.
Willard has now held Exemplary status for five consecutive years. Roosevelt returned to Exemplary after receiving a Commendable rating last year under the prior accountability system. The school had earned Exemplary in 2024.
The new framework evaluates schools on core academic indicators such as proficiency and growth, elevating indicators like consistent attendance and English Learner progress, and student group performance. Under the previous system, only 10% of Illinois schools could receive the Exemplary designation. The new criteria-based approach resulted in 28.3% of schools statewide meeting the Exemplary threshold in 2026, as Patch reported. Patch noted that the higher share reflects the redesigned evaluation method rather than a comparable improvement in academic performance.
District-wide, D90 students posted strong numbers. English language arts proficiency stood at 90.6% and math proficiency at 83.6%, according to the report card. Over 94% of eighth graders passed Algebra I. Those figures far exceed statewide averages, where ELA proficiency rose to 55.4% and math to 39.2%.
Chronic absenteeism across the 1,292-student district climbed to 10.4%, up from 8% the previous year. Statewide, chronic absenteeism declined for the fourth straight year, dropping to 23.5% in 2026. D90's rate remains well below that statewide figure, but the local increase runs counter to the broader trend. District officials did not publicly address the increase as of Oct. 30.
The Exemplary sweep follows another recent honor. On Oct. 20, Lincoln was named a Governor's Blue Ribbon School by ISBE for outstanding academic performance, one of only 16 public schools in Illinois to receive the designation.
"We see this recognition as a celebration for all of our students, teachers, staff, administration, board, and our families," new superintendent Janice Pavelonis said.
Board of Education President Katie Avalos echoed the sentiment. "The board is thrilled by the district-wide Exemplary designations," Avalos said. "This honor reflects the hard work of our students, the passion of our staff and the support of our families."
Lincoln's Blue Ribbon ceremony has not yet been scheduled, according to the Wednesday Journal.
