Elmhurst D205 A Rarity Nationwide

ELMHURST, IL – Elmhurst School District 205 is one of thousands of districts nationwide.

But it's one of only a few where average standardized test scores among elementary and middle schoolers last year exceeded those in 2019, an official said.

For third through eighth graders, no state has returned to its pre-pandemic average achievement levels in both English language arts and math, according to research from Harvard and Stanford universities.

But 106 individual districts across the country, including Elmhurst, have exceeded their 2019 levels among third through eighth graders, said Jacob Wertz, District 205's director of research.

Wertz was speaking at Tuesday's school board meeting.

The district's average math scores are seven-tenths of a grade level above where they were in 2019, Wertz said. In English language arts, the results were a little more than a grade level above pre-pandemic numbers.

"Of course, Elmhurst students were already scoring well above the national average," Wertz said.

So the increases in the last few years mean that Elmhurst is now about 2½ grade levels above the 2019 national average, he said.

Elmhurst has an inherent advantage over most districts, given residents' relative wealth. Elmhurst's median household income of $145,000 is nearly double the national average.

The story is not as good for Elmhurst's high school students.

Last year, York High School students saw their lowest SAT scores since 2017. In a news release at the time, the district touted the younger students' success, but ignored York's bad news.