Longfellow Elem School

Longfellow Elem School, a modestly sized elementary campus in Marion, Illinois, operated by Marion CUSD 2, hosts 261 students, covering grades K through 5. Enrollment runs roughly 31% leaner than the state mean of about 381.

Across the 7 schools in Marion CUSD 2 (3,684 students total), Longfellow Elem School accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Looking at the student body, Longfellow Elem School shows that the largest single group is White, at 71% of enrollment. Beyond that, the school shows 15% Black, 8% multiracial, 5% Hispanic. By comparison, Williamson County as a whole is about 89% White, so the school skews visibly less White than its surroundings.

In terms of school funding signals, On paper, Longfellow Elem School has 20 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 12.9:1. The state averages around 13.9:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Around 67% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. Set against Williamson County (around 54%), the school's rate is meaningfully above typical.

With demographic context factored in, Longfellow Elem School sits in the top 10% of Illinois schools after the BeatsExpectations adjustment. Predicted proficiency for the school's FRL share is roughly 32.8%; actual is 61.3%, +28.5 points clear of the demographic baseline.

Zooming out to the county, community-level numbers for Williamson County indicate median household earnings sit near $65,604, 26% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 10% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Williamson County runs 26 public schools (combined enrollment of about 9,700 students), of which Longfellow Elem School is one.

The closest other public school is Marion High School, roughly 0.5 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 5 other public schools cluster around Longfellow Elem School. On composite proficiency, Longfellow Elem School comes 2nd of 8 in the immediate cluster, ahead of the nearby-schools average of 46.8%.

The campus sits in a small-town setting.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Longfellow Elem School has fell 4%, going from 271 students in 2018 to 261 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, posts here usually surface around sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.