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SCHOOL COMMUNITY·VALLEY VIEW CUSD 365U·NCES 174007005751

Bernard J Ward Elem School

200 Recreation Dr, Bolingbrook, IL 60440 · (630) 972-9200 · Will County
GRADES KG–05ELEMENTARY13-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL363 STUDENTS
Enrollment
363
Elementary
DISTRICT 492 · STATE 381
Student : Teacher
11.8:1
31 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 12.8:1 · STATE 13.9:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
77%
281 students
DISTRICT 59% · STATE 56%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade
Kindergarten
44
Grade 1
61
Grade 2
78
Grade 3
63
Grade 4
57
Grade 5
60
Student demographics
White
175%
DISTRICT 17% · STATE 45%
Hispanic
23063%
DISTRICT 49% · STATE 29%
Black
7420%
DISTRICT 22% · STATE 16%
Asian
195%
DISTRICT 6% · STATE 6%
Two+
216%
DISTRICT 5% · STATE 5%
Native American
21%
DISTRICT 0% · STATE 0%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Male
18350%
Female
18050%

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Test scores

IAR + ISA 2024-25 . % Proficient (Levels 4-5)
English Language Arts
50.6%
IL avg 51.0% . +25.2pp since 2023
Math
42.0%
IL avg 37.9% . +28.9pp since 2023

What this means: On the IAR + ISA, Illinois's statewide test, about 51 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 42 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Illinois schools, those numbers are about 51 and 38. Reading and writing scores are up about 25 points since 2023, while math scores are up about 29 points.

Source: IAR + ISA. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →

BeatsExpectations

Demographically-adjusted score · methodology
Tier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
37.5%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
26.8%
based on IL schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+10.6pp
above demographic expectation

What this means: About 37% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 27% typical for Illinois schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Illinois's top nor bottom 10%.

BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →

7-year change

SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25
Enrollment
363
-96 (-21%) vs 2017
Student : Teacher
11.8:1
was 12.5:1
% White
5%
was 7%
% Hispanic
63%
was 70%
% Black
20%
was 15%
% Asian
5%
was 5%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data

About Bernard J Ward Elem School

Bernard J Ward Elem School operates as a medium-sized elementary-level community in Bolingbrook, Illinois, one of the schools within Valley View CUSD 365U. Current enrollment sits at 363 students spanning grades K through 5.

Within Valley View CUSD 365U, which oversees 20 schools and 14,710 students, Bernard J Ward Elem School is one campus in the system.

On demographics, Bernard J Ward Elem School shows that Hispanic students make up the majority at 63%; the rest breaks down as 20% Black, 6% multiracial, 5% Asian, 5% White. By comparison, Will County as a whole is about 20% Hispanic, so the school skews noticeably more Hispanic than its surroundings.

Looking at school resources, Staff filings list 31 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 11.8:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.9:1, putting Bernard J Ward Elem School tighter than the state norm the norm. Around 77% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. By comparison, Will County runs at roughly 44%, so the school's eligibility rate is meaningfully above the surrounding baseline.

After controlling for student poverty, Bernard J Ward Elem School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 26.8%; this one delivers 37.5%.

In the surrounding community, the surrounding county (Will County) reports that median household earnings sit near $109,984, roughly 38% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 6%. In all, Will County runs 209 public schools (combined enrollment of about 113,008 students), of which Bernard J Ward Elem School is one.

Nearest neighbor: John R Tibbott Elem School, around 0.9 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Bernard J Ward Elem School ranks 8th on composite proficiency, behind the local average of 42.2%.

The campus sits in an inner-city setting.

Over the past 7-year window. Bernard J Ward Elem School's enrollment has declined 21% since 2018, when it stood at 459 (now 363). Over the same period, the Hispanic share ticked down from 70% to 63%.

In the discussion threads here, the feed for Bernard J Ward Elem School typically covers open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.

Will County at a glance

View full county profile
Population
701,462
Census ACS
Median income
$109,984
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
38%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
6%
Below federal line
Schools in county
209
113,008 students

Quick facts

School name
Bernard J Ward Elem School
District
Valley View CUSD 365U
Address
200 Recreation Dr, Bolingbrook, IL 60440
Phone
(630) 972-9200
County
Will County
Level
Elementary
Grade range
KG–05
Total enrollment
363
Teachers (FTE)
31
Student–teacher ratio
11.8:1
Free/Reduced lunch
281 (77%)
Locale
13-City: Small
NCES ID
174007005751
Charter school
No
Virtual school
No

Related schools

Other schools in Valley View CUSD 365U
Other schools in Bolingbrook
Nearby schools

Frequently asked questions

About Bernard J Ward Elem School
What is the total enrollment at Bernard J Ward Elem School?
Bernard J Ward Elem School enrolls approximately 363 students in grades KG-05.
What grades does Bernard J Ward Elem School serve?
Bernard J Ward Elem School serves grades KG-05.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bernard J Ward Elem School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Bernard J Ward Elem School is approximately 11.8:1 (31 FTE teachers).
How diverse is Bernard J Ward Elem School?
Bernard J Ward Elem School reports a student body of 5% White, 63% Hispanic, 20% Black, 5% Asian, 6% Two or more.
What district is Bernard J Ward Elem School in?
Bernard J Ward Elem School is part of Valley View CUSD 365U.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.
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